New York Rangers Legends

Doug Brennan

2011-12-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

Doug Brennan played three seasons with the New York Rangers from 1931 through 1934. The Rangers acquired him from the Vancouver Lions of the PCHL. They had good connections with Vancouver back then, acquiring a few players from the opposite coach back then. Obviously it helped, as the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1933.

Brennan was good size, tough defenseman. In 123 games with the Blue Shirts he scored 9 goals, 7 assists and 16 points. He also earned 152 penalty minutes.

Danny Lewicki

2011-12-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

When Dashin' Danny Lewicki looked back at his nine year stint in the NHL he has this rather brutal assessment of himself:

"A hockey player who didn't reach his potential. I always felt I could have done better and should have done better."

An excellent skater who stickhandled and shot well, Lewicki played with Toronto, NY Rangers and Chicago.

"Possibly I was a little ahead of my time," he says. Could he play defensively? "Never!" he joked. "Oh, I did a bit, but at 170lbs I wasn't able to hurt anybody."

Lewicki scored 105 goals and 135 assists in 461 regular season games. He is one of the few players to win the Memorial Cup (Port Arthur Bruins, 1948), Allan Cup (Toronto Seniors, 1949) and Stanley Cup (Toronto Maple Leafs, 1950).

After leaving the NHL in 1959 Lewicki rounded out his career with 4 years in the minors before calling it quits. He regretfully looks back and realized maybe he quit to soon as the NHL expanded just a couple of years after he retired.

Lewicki became a sales representative with CHUM radio for 13 years before joining Acklands as an automotive supplier.

Rene "Trudy" Trudell

2011-12-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

Rene “Trudy” Trudell came out of Mariapolis, Manitoba with a reputation as a fine skater and stickhandler. But his NHL career was grounded before it even started, thanks to World War II.

Trudell, who actually played a season in Harringay, England, enrolled with the Canadian military. Stationed in Winnipeg he continued to star at hockey with the RCAF Bombers. He served there for four years before finally getting a chance at the NHL.

Not a lot hockey playing World War II veterans cracked NHL lineups after their service was done. The NHL had found a new wave of younger talent, and welcomed back many of the old familiar names, making it tough for a player like Trudell to crack a line up. But crack a line up he did, playing with the New York Rangers for two and a half seasons.

Trudell, a cousin of Chicago Black Hawks forward Lou Trudel, died on March 19th, 1972. He had moved to San Francisco and opened a restaurant.

Jean Paul Lamirande

2011-11-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

"Promising 23-year-old French Canadian Jean Paul Lamirande, who hails from Isle Maligne, Lake St. John, Quebec, has been added to the New York Rangers' line-up," exclaimed the New York Times on October 10th, 1946.

The Montreal Gazette lamented the loss of "Montreal's great amateur star" to the American city. The paper championed Lamirande's blocking and rushing ability.

Unfortunately "JP" never fulfilled his promise. He would go on to play high level professional and senior hockey until 1961, but only get into 49 NHL contests. In that time he scored 5 goals and 10 points.

While he started with the Rangers in 1946, an injury sidelined him and upon his recovery he was demoted to the minor leagues. He rarely returned.

His finest moment came on November 30, 1949 when Jean Lamirande, just called up, scored two goals as the Rangers beat Montreal, 5-2.

Late in his career he returned to amateur status and played with several senior teams in Quebec and Ontario. In 1958 he was a star defenseman with the Quebec Aces, but was a last minute addition that season to Whitby Dunlops. The Dunnies won the Allan Cup as Canada's amateur champions and were about to head overseas to participate in the World Hockey Championships, but not before adding the talented Lamirande. Lamirande starred in Oslo that spring, picking up six assists including setting up Bob Attersley's gold medal winning goal!

Lamirande so enjoyed his European vacation that he did it again the following year. Now a member of the Belleville McFarlands, this time he, too, tasted Allan Cup champagne before heading to Prague. Lamirande was named as the tournament's top defenseman while leading the Canadians to another world title.

Brian Leetch

2011-11-21T23:09:00.000-08:00

Though he was born in the least likeliest of hockey hotbeds, Brian Leetch went on to become perhaps the best National Hockey League defenseman of his era.

Brian was born in Corpus Christie, Texas, but he did not live there long. His father was a Navy pilot, flying C-130 transports to Vietnam. In 1973, when Brian was about 5 years old, the navy decommissioned Leetch's squadron, and the family moved to San Francisco where Jack flew Boeing 707s for Pan Am. Later he was hired by Shell Oil, who stationed him first in Oregon then Connecticut, back close to the Leetch family.

Despite all the travel to unlikely hockey places, Brian had already fell in love with the game of hockey. His father passed that on to him. You see, Jack Leetch was quite the hockey player in his day, too. He was a walk on at Boston College and became an All American by 1963. Playing on the American national team, he was one of the last cuts for Team USA's entry to the 1964 Olympics.

Brian was destined to follow in his father's glorious footsteps, and then some. He was a high school superstar, and NHL scouts flocked to Avon Old Farms prep school to see him. The New York Rangers were so impressed, they took a chance on the high school kid with the 9th overall draft pick in 1986. It turned out to be a chance well taken, as Leetch may be the best player out of that draft class.

The Rangers would have to wait to get Leetch in a Blueshirts jersey though. He had his mind and heart set on following his father to Boston College. He would play just one year there, joining future NHL star Craig Janney under the guidance of legendary coach Len Ceglarski. Leetch was named rookie and player of the year in Hockey East, and became the first freshman to be named as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as US college's top hockey player.

Leetch dropped out of college the following year, but not to chase the big bucks of the NHL, but Olympic gold. He was named US team captain, and was the clear star of the team. Unfortunately a knee injury left him on crutches heading into the 1988 Calgary Olympics. He would still play in all 6 games, but the Americans would not medal.

Leetch would embark upon his NHL career immediately following the Olympics, finishing the 1987-88 NHL season with 2 goals and 14 points in 17 games, serving notice of what was to come. In his rookie season the year later, he wowed everyone around the league with a 23 goal, 71 point campaign.

One of the keys to Leetch's early NHL success was coach Michel Bergeron. Bergeron was a fiery coach who insisted on passion, and was not known for tactics and Xs and Os. Leetch was free to play his game, which is so rare for any player nowadays. He was allowed to show what he could do.

That was great for the beginning of Leetch's career, but he truly became the NHL's top defender upon the arrival of coach Mike Keenan and former Oiler Mark Messier. Leetch would develop special bonds with both, especially Messier. Those bonds would teach him how to become one of the NHL's all time great players.

In 1991-92, Leetch became only the 4th defenseman in league history to record 100 points in a season. His 80 assists were a team record. His dominance earned him his first Norris Trophy as the league's best rearguard.

However it was the 1993-94 season that ranks highest on Leetch's incredible list of accomplishments. After another impressive regular season of 79points, Leetch led the New York Rangers in the playoffs, scoring 11 goals and a league high 23 assists and 34 points on route to the first Stanley Cup championship on Broadway in 54 years. Leetch was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the playoff's most valuable performer, the first non-Canadian born player to do so. The finals against Vancouver are considered to be one of hockey's greatest clashes, and Leetch stood tallest among many giants in that series.

The Rangers fortunes dramatically declined following the Cup win, but Leetch was constantly the brightest star on Broadway. He was named to 5 NHL all star teams, and won another Norris Trophy in 1997. He also returned to the Olympics in both 1998 and 2002, finally winning a silver medal in his last Olympiad.

The key to Leetch's game was always his mobility and vision. He was a terrific skater and stickhandler. Everyone marveled at how he could sidestep the league's best forecheckers and make a great breakout pass, often creating something out of nothing. He was a good rusher too, and manned a power play point as good as anyone. Defensively he overcame relatively small size with impeccable timing and positioning. He was never adverse to the physical game either. He truly was one of the all time great defensemen.

Leetch bled Rangers blue and he was greatly disheartened when the Rangers moved him at the trading deadline in 2004 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He finished the year there, and then sat out the lost lockout season of 2004-05. He was again heartbroken when the Rangers showed no interest in his return post-lockout. Prompting him to return for a final and uneventful season with the Boston Bruins.

In 1205 NHL games, Brian Leetch scored 247 goals, 781 assists for 1028 points. He also added 97 points in 95 post season contests. One day his jersey #2 will hang high in the rafters of Madison Square Gardens.

Adam Graves

2011-11-21T23:08:00.000-08:00

In an era when the NHL was being dominated by hockey's version of globalization, Adam Graves was very much the traditional Canadian hockey player.

"He's very physical, he will do anything to get his team geared up," said one NHL coach. "He plays the game every inch of that ice. He wants to command, and he commands a lot of respect out there. He's a total player. He's a spark. He's an inspiration. There's an MVP guy, let me tell you. He's just an outstanding player and an outstanding person."

"Adam was always the type of kid you wanted to make it," Colin Campbell, his former coach said. "He is conscientious, nice, hard-working, respectful. And usually those guys don't make it. Adam is the milk-drinker who goes through hell for you."

He played a rugged, aggressive game of hockey, with a mean streak that enhanced his talent and inspired his teammates. He parked his often bruised body in front of the net, especially when playing on the power play. Graves was a willing fighter, often known as Mark Messier's bodyguard, both in Edmonton and later New York. Kevin Lowe, teammate of both in both cities, called Graves "the sheriff" for his willingness to defend fellow Rangers.

Graves was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings out of the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. He finished the 1988 season with the Wings after leading the Spitfires to the OHL championship. He split the 1988-89 season with the Wings and their AHL affiliate. He was quickly traded in the beginning of the 1989-90 season in a huge trade. Graves, Petr Klima, Joe Murphy and Jeff Sharples were all moved to Edmonton in exchange for Michigan-born Jimmy Carson and long time Oiler tough guy Kevin McClelland.

Graves filled a similar role to McClelland while in Edmonton, but possessed much more promise which never really was tapped in the City of Champions. He played 2 seasons with the Oilers, scoring 15 goals in 139 games. He teamed with Martin Gelinas and Joe Murphy to form the Oilers version of the "Kid Line." The trio combined speed and youthful enthusiasm in a supporting role in the Oilers 1990 Stanley Cup Championship.

The New York Rangers plucked Graves away from Edmonton in 1991 via the free agency market. It was in New York that Graves blossomed into a star. He erupted in 1991-92 to score 26 goals, doubling his career total. The next year he improved to 36 goals and by 1993-94 he joined Vic Hadfield as only the second New York Ranger in history to score 50 goals. In fact Graves' 52 goals better Hadfield's then-team record by 2. Graves would add 10 goals and 17 points in 23 playoff games to help bring Lord Stanley's Cup back to Broadway for the first time since 1940.

Graves would have trouble reaching the same plateau again. Playing in pain but rarely missing a game, he became a consistent 20 goal scorer in the years following. His body was banged up, later in his career he went through a tough time, losing his infant son and his father to deaths within months.

Through it all, Graves played with the highest dignity and class, and truly bled Rangers blue. The 1994 King Clancy Memorial winner and 2000 Bill Masterton Trophy winner, Graves participates in many activities involving under privileged kids in New York.

He now serves as the Rangers' director of community relations.

Dan Olesevich

2011-05-06T23:05:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has studied hockey prior to the 1960s will notice that most teams only carried one goalie. That goalie would play in every game of the season, or be sent to the minors to be replaced by someone else.

Quite often team's employed assistant equipment trainers. Not because the full time equipment trainer needed help necessarily, but to play the role of practice goaltender. That way the goalie to get his rest before the game while shooters could sharpen their skills with a goalie in the nets.

Everyonce in a while a goalie would get hurt during the game. A number of times the assistant trainer/practice goalie would be called in to finish the game. More often than not it would be that trainer's only shot at NHL action.

This happened on the night of October 21, 1961. The New York Rangers were in Detroit playing the Red Wings. In the second period, Rangers goalie Gump Worsley got injured and couldn't continue. Because the practice goalie rarely travelled with the team, the Rangers asked permission to use the Red Wings practice goalie in order to finish the game. The Red Wings agreed.

The practice goalie that season was Dan Olesevich. He stepped in and played 29 minutes. He allowed just 2 goals and earned a tie against the team that gave him his paycheck.

Unlike a lot of practice goalies who stepped in for a few minutes of action, Olesevich had a decent background as a goaltender. He played for the Hamilton Tiger Cubs for 4 seasons starting in 1953. He however was basically a spare goalie there too. He did jump to the pro ranks in 1958 when he split the season in the EHL and NOHA. He played in 56 games that season.

However Olesevich realized he wouldn't likely make a living as a goaltender, so when the Red Wings offered him a position as trainer/practice goalie in the summer of 1959, he retired as an active goalie and began working for the Wings.

Butch Keeling

2011-03-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

Butch Keeling was a regular left winger with the New York Rangers in the 1930s. Playing behind the famous Boucher-Cook brothers line, Keeling pulled second line duty often with Murray Murdoch and either Cecil Dillon or Paul Thompson.

Words that commonly described him as a player were "underrated," "consistent," and "reliable." Keeling was known as a big and strong player, although he was clean and rarely took penalties. He was a solid goal scorer, though not much of a set up man. His best season came in 1936–37 when, playing on a line with Phil Watson and Dillon, he led the Rangers with a career-high 22 goals, the third highest total in the league. In the playoffs he notched three goals and five points before bowing to the Detroit Red Wings.

Keeling was a member of the Rangers 1933 Stanley Cup championship team. In fact it was Keeling who assisted on Bill Cook's famous Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime.

Tomas Sandstrom

2011-03-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Tomas Sandstrom was one of the most hated players of his day.

He had a reputation as a shit disturber at best, and as a dirty player at worst. He was very abrasive, always yapping, giving facials with his gloves and keep his stick high whenever someone came nearby. He infuriated opponents regularly enough that they would often try to retaliate, allowing Sandstrom's team to go to the power play. Once in a while they got him good, like, infamously, Dave Brown:

Sandstrom had the finesse skills to make that team pay, too. He combined good size, speed, strength and skill. Nine times in his career, including seven seasons in a row, Sandstrom topped 25 goals or more, including a couple of 40 goal campaigns. He surprised goalies with virtually no backswing to his shot, showing velocity and accuracy regardless. He could even release shots while the puck was still in his feet. He was also an underrated passer.

Despite his reputation as a dirty player, the bottom line on Tomas Sandstrom was that he loved to compete and you had to respect that. That being said, he had a general disregard for his opponent's safety, and that does not need to be respected. He was like an Esa Tikkanen or Claude Lemieux - an elite pest with a good all around game to match it.

Sandstrom was best known as a New York Ranger until he and Tony Granato were traded to Los Angeles. That trade was not without controversy - heading to New York was Bernie Nicholls, the long time popular King who had scored 70 goals along side Wayne Gretzky the previous season.

Sandstrom never put up incredibly unusual numbers along side The Great One, but he did have a real strong playoff in 1993. The Kings made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals that year, bowing out Montreal. Sandstrom's most famous moment as a King - being winked at by Patrick Roy in that Stanley Cup final.

Sandstrom later joined the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Mighty Ducks, continued to being overshadowed by superstar teammates like Mario Lemieux and Paul Kariya/Teemu Selanne.

He also briefly played with Detroit, finally winning a Stanley Cup in 1997.

All told Tomas Sandstrom played 983 career NHL games, scoring 394 goals and 462 assists for 856 points. He also registered 1,193 career penalty minutes.

Miloslav Horava

2011-03-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

When Miloslav Horava came to the NHL late in the 1988-89 season he was a 27-year old veteran of both the Czechoslovakian league and the Czech national team. He had already participated in two Olympic tournaments, three Canada Cups and four World Championship tournaments. He went on to play in two more Olympic tournaments for a total of four. Miloslav played well over 200 games for the Czech national team.

Miloslav grew up playing in Kladno. He played for PZ Kladno between 1969-77 and then continued to play for Poldi Kladno in the Czech league as an adult. Miloslav wasn't the easiest player to coach when he was a youngster. He didn't like to listen to the advice given to him by older players and coaches. He was very outspoken and often said things that didn't sit well with people around him, mostly coaches. His coaches let him get away with a lot of stuff because he was a great talent, and he displayed that talent best when he got some slack. In his early years he was an offensive defenseman with a booming shot. He had one of the better shots in the entire Czech league.

Miloslav's long time dream of playing in the NHL became a reality when he laced 'em up for the NY Rangers at the end of the 1988-89 season. He played six games. Before the 1989-90 season was to begin a lot of changes happened in New York. Miloslav had to start from scratch during the training camp. He played so well that he earned himself a regular spot on the blueline for the 1989-90 season

Miloslav was greatful to his Swedish teammate Tomas Sandstrom who helped him a lot. They used to play against each other in Europe. Sandstrom gave him valuable advice.

"Now you are in America, which means that everything for you will be a new experience. Try to adapt to the flow of the game, because if you don't then you'll be history pretty fast," Sandstrom advised "There will be times when you'll hit rock bottom. You'll come up with thousands of reasons to leave and go back home. Don't do it, there will be times when you are dead tired, but you have to dig in and continue. Around you there are a lot of wolves who can't wait until they can get a bite of you, get rid of the uncomfortable European. There will be moments when you will be ready to throw in the towel, but you have to fight through it and work even harder.Just smile and stare them in the eye, and tell them them that you expected it to be a lot worse. That way you'll earn respect and the guys who want to take your spot will be perplexed, asking themselves: ' we are down on our knees and this Horava guy is still going.' This will eventually cut you some slack."

Sandstrom's pep talk was really important to Miloslav who often thought about Sandstrom's words when he had doubts about himself. The change wasn't just huge on the ice but off the ice as well. Miloslav barely could speak English and he wasn't used to all the luxury given to him by the Rangers. They fixed him a huge house in Rochester and a fancy car. Miloslav, who was a pretty well travelled fellow, was impressed by how professionally things worked in the NHL.

He also admitted that he didn't realize how stereotypical an NHL'ers life was. Eat, sleep, travel, train and play hockey day in and day out. The rebel in Miloslav was still present and he had a hard time to cope with the constant roster changes. One day you were in and the other you were out of the lineup without any explanation from the coach.

After the 1990-91 season Miloslav left North America to play in Sweden and Modo. He was one of the best defensemen in the league and played there until 1994. He then went on to play for Slavia Prague in the Czech league and Karlovy Vary, also of the Czech league. He retired in 2000.

Special thanks to Patrick Houda

Bob "Killer" Dill

2011-03-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

Decades after the infamous incident, Bob "Killer" Dill still denies it.

Dill, a gigantic tough guy out of Minnesota, was quickly carving out a reputation as the baddest man in hockey. Opponents feared Dill's rabbit punches that annihilated many players.

Dill's reputation, and his effectiveness as a NHL hockey player, came to an abrupt halt at the hands (quite literally) of Rocket Richard. Dill was assigned the duty of neutralizing the Rocket one night at the Madison Square Gardens. The idea was to intimidate the Canadiens superstar.

Legend has it that as the two tangled for the first time that night, Richard had knocked out Dill with a quick fist to the head before Dill even had a chance to land a punch. Minutes later, Dill staggered to the penalty box, yelling and taunting Rocket the whole way. Rocket, who was in the penalty box already, didn't appreciate whatever Dill had to say. With no barrier to separate the two penalty boxes, Richard leaped into Dill's area, and caught him with another blow, knocking out the big bad Dill for a second time!

"Its a hell of a thing to be remembered for, especially since the incident never took place," said Dill.

"Sure, the Rocket and I had a little set-to in that game and he knocked me down and I was groggy. And yes, we got penalties. In the box, I called him a dirty so-and-so and he reached over and punched me over the eye. It bled a little enough for three stitches as I recall. But that was it. There was no second knockout. Geez the reporters built it up and the books have been written with they story about how I got beaten up that night. You'd think I had been knocked out for 15 minutes the way it was told."

Dill's son Bill Jr. also denies the accuracy of this legend.

Dill Jr. says "I do have the original paper from the famous fight and it does not mention anyone being knocked out etc. It was described like just like my father's description."

While Dill's reputation had taken a beating more so than his body, common sentiment was that Killer Dill's career was ruined because of this incident. He quickly disappeared from the NHL scene after playing in just 76 games, scoring 15 goals and 30 points, plus 135 PIMs.

Not so, says his son Bob Dill Jr.

"The truth is that after the 44-45 season Boston wanted to make a trade for him but Lester Patrick refused because he wanted my father to play for St Paul in the USHL, reason being my father was from St Paul and Lester saw in him as a hometown favorite to draw the crowds which he did for the next 5 years."

"His game never changed," Dill Jr. goes on to say "as he was selected twice to all star teams and lead St. Paul in scoring for a defenseman each of the 5 years and also in penalty minutes."

"Lester Patrick was not a huge supporter of the American player (there were very few in the NHL at that time) and that bothered my father more than any fight, as he had many many more during the rest of his career.

As his son points out, he did go on to a strong career outside of the NHL - a career that was distinguished enough to land him in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Hopefully this article will help dispel the myth of the Dill/Richard encounter.

Alexander Karpovtsev

2011-03-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Moscow native Alexander Karpovtsev was an intriguing Soviet import.

Blessed with good size (6'2" and 210lbs) and great skating strength (in terms of balance and agility, and even quickness out of his pivots), the New York Rangers had high hopes for Karpovtsev when they acquired him from the Quebec Nordiques. The Nords drafted the Moscow Dynamo defenseman 158th overall in the 1990 Entry Draft but never brought him to North America. That only happened after the Rangers, led by general manager Neil Smith's enthusiasm for Soviet players, brought him over in 1993. Sergei Nemchinov, Alexei Kovalev and Sergei Zubov were also amongst the influx.

Karpovtsev enjoyed 5 seasons in New York, including in 1994 when the team won the Stanley Cup. It may have been the Rangers' first championship in over 50 years, but Karpovtsev hoisted the chalice as a NHL rookie. In doing so, he, Nemchinov, Kovalev and Zubov became the first Russian players to have their name on the Stanley Cup!

But Karpovtsev never really got untracked. The Rangers had great depth on the blue line, limiting Karpovtsev's playing time. Also limiting his playing time was a series of injuries. He missed half of two seasons in New York due to injuries.

The Rangers moved Karpovtsev to Toronto in 1998 in exchange for Mathieu Schneider. The Rangers were looking for an experienced upgrade as they figured Karpovtsev was no better than a third pairing dman who could make safe outlets from his own zone, tie up larger forwards in front of the net and maybe eat up some second pairing power play minutes.

Karpovtsev played two seasons in Toronto (quietly having a really solid 1998-99 season) before moving to Chicago for four seasons. He seemingly spent as much time in the medical room as he did on the ice, drawing famous criticism of his desire to play. Chicago broadcaster Pat Foley was not shy to rip into Karpovtsev's character, damaging Karpovtsev's reputation. He essentially left the NHL, rightly or wrongly, known for poor work ethic. He certainly is remembered in Chicago with great despise.

Karpovtsev briefly appeared with the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers, but for all intents and purposes he moved back to Russia to complete his career. He retired from the game for good in 2007.

Troy Mallette

2011-03-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

Troy Mallette certainly made quite the impact on the NHL when he first came into the league.

The 22nd overall draft pick in 1988, Mallette joined the New York Rangers a year later, tallying 13 goals and an amazing 305 penalty minutes. He followed up that with a sophomore season that saw him register 12 goals and 252 penalty minutes.

Mallette's reputation was pretty much set by that stage. He was hard working, hard hitting winger who would crash and bang on his wall and in the corners. He could be counted on to score a few goals and drop the gloves regularly. But he was a bundle full of energy and guts, but he was not exactly the most menacing player in the league.

When the New York Rangers signed Adam Graves to a free agent contract in 1991, the NHL awarded the Oilers Mallette as compensation. Graves of course went on to become a 50 goal scorer in New York. After just 15 games Mallette demanded to be traded.

Mallette's wish was granted later in the season, moved to New Jersey in exchange for David Maley. But he would not fit in well there either. He would sit out many games as a healthy scratch.

Mallette badly wanted to be a regular player, but increasingly it became obvious that if he was going to stay in the NHL he needed to accept the role of team goon. He didn't have the speed or puck skills to play a significantly bigger role, no matter what the uninformed free agency arbitrator said.

Mallette went on to play in Ottawa, Boston and Tampa Bay. When all was said and done he played in 456 NHL games, scoring 51 goals, 119 points and 1226 penalty minutes.

Julian Klymkiw

2011-02-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

Born on July 16th, 1933 in Winnipeg Manitoba, Klymkiw was a former junior and senior goaltender, mostly with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Winnipeg Warriors, who was serving as the Detroit Red Wings assistant trainer and practice goaltender in the 1958-59 season.

When the New York Rangers came to town to play the Wings on October 12, 1958, Ranger goalie Gump Worsley was injured in the third period. Without another goalie, the Red Wings agreed to allow the Rangers to use the 25 year old practice goalie to complete the game.

When Klymkiew entered the game, the score was 1-0. Klymkiw would play the final 19 minutes of the game, surrendering 2 goals as the Wings went on to win the game 3-0.

Jeff Beukeboom

2011-02-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

Jeff Beukeboom was forced to quit the game he loves because of repeated head injuries.

Beukeboom was originally injured Nov. 19, 1998 at Los Angeles when he was savagely sucker punched from behind by Los Angeles tough guy Matt Johnson. Johnson received a 12 game suspension for that hit.

Beukeboom paid much more than that. Though Jeff returned he was hurt again in December and his season ended with another concussion on Feb. 12, 1999 against Carolina. The concussion third concussion was very concerning for Beukeboom and his doctors.

"The thing that is most glaring, the thing that makes it easy is that the Feb. 12 knock was quite slight, something you see most every night in the NHL," Beukeboom said. "My situation over five months, the symptoms have not subsided."

Beukeboom said he suffers from headaches and loses concentration in conversations. He has been unable to work out or do anything physical since the February injury.

"It's a medical retirement. I'm not able to come back and compete in the NHL the way I'd love to. Everything in the game comes to your health. My body is healthy. My mind is not healthy right now." said Jeff.

Jeff grew up in a hockey environment. He is the nephew of former NHLer Ed Kea, and fellow-NHLer Joe Nieuwendyk is his cousin. When Jeff played in Edmonton and Joe played in Calgary, the two were forced to wage physical wars against each other in the dreaded Battle of Alberta during the late 1980s.

Jeff's hockey career started with Sault. Ste Marie of the OHL. In three seasons with the Greyhounds, Jeff scored 10 goals and totaled 75 assists. In 48 playoff appearances, Jeff tallied six goals and contributed 17 assists. He was an OHL First Team All-Star and a member of the Canadian team that won the World Junior Tournament in Finland in 1985. His fine defensive and physical play got him noticed by the NHL scouting fraternity as the Edmonton Oilers selected Jeff in the first round, 19th overall, in the 1983 entry draft.

The Oilers felt Jeff needed some seasoning and sent him to the minors. Jeff got his first shot at NHL duty in the playoffs of all times! He appeared in a game against the Vancouver Canucks on April 10, 1986.
Although he battled through some injuries, Beukeboom made the Oilers on an almost full time basis the following year. He even notched his first NHL goal on December 30, 1986 against the Vancouver Canucks. He scored 3 goals and 11 points in 44 games and helped the Oilers win their 3rd Cup in 4 years in the playoffs.

The 1987-88 season was Jeff's best from a statistical standpoint. He scored 5 goals and career high 20 assists for 25 points for another modest career high. Jeff even went on a scoring rampage in January of that season, scoring goals in 4 consecutive games. Not bad for a guy who only scored 30 goals in his entire career!

Times were tough for Jeff in the next two seasons. In a preseason game before the 1988-89 season Jeff left the bench to join in an altercation. For his actions Jeff served a mandatory 10 game suspension and had to report to the minors for conditioning purposes once the ban was lifted. Later in the season he suffered a knee injury and only played in 36 games. Injuries again limited Jeff's appearances in the 1989-90 season. He healthy enough to appear in only 46 contests that year.

Jeff played another season and a half in Edmonton before he was traded to New York in 1991-92. Jeff was traded to the Rangers in exchange for David Shaw on November 12, 1991 to complete the huge Mark Messier trade to the Big Apple earlier that season.

New York was a good destination for Jeff. Playing on the high profile Edmonton Oiler teams of the 1980s meant Jeff was overshadowed by the likes of Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, Lowe etc. And while he certainly didn't over shadow names like Messier, Adam Graves, Brian Leetch or Mike Richter, Jeff's play was well appreciated by both the Ranger fans and media. Jeff got a lot of credit for helping the turn the Rangers into a solid NHL contender. The Rangers of course went on to win the Stanley Cup in 1994. For Jeff it was his 4th Stanley Cup ring.

Age and slowing mobility caught up to Jeff in his last couple of year limiting his effectiveness. Then came the concussion injuries. Beukeboom played in 45 games with nine assists and 60 penalty minutes in what proved to be his last season. In 804 NHL games, he scored 30 goals with 129 assists and 1,890 penalty minutes.

You could say Beukeboom was a checker. At 6'5" and 230lbs, Beukeboom took up a lot of room on the ice, and when he caught a hold of you, he used every ounce of his body to smack you into the boards, if not right through them. Although he certainly was no angel himself, Beukeboom was a clean hitter. With his long reach and good hands with his stick, he was a very effective poke checker and sweep checker. And he was great in front of his own goal too, quickly disposing of any opposition forward who dared to get into the slot.

Not a great skater, Beukeboom was content to stay within his limitations and play a simple, defensive game. He reached the peak of his career when paired with Brian Leetch, who of course was a offensive oriented defenseman. Beukeboom's steady defensive play allowed Leetch to constantly jump up into or lead an attack. Plus Jeff's physical presence meant Leetch could play defense more by playing the angles more than the man, thus saving the much smaller Leetch some wear and tear. It comes as no coincidence that Leetch's best years came when Beukeboom was healthy.

Beukeboom of course benefited from playing with Leetch too. Beukeboom had little offensive upside and although he was a good skater, he certainly wasn't the swiftest guy out there. Beukeboom would often let Leetch clear the puck out of their zone as Beukeboom's lack of skills and creativity limited him to simple dumping the puck into the neutral zone. Beukeboom also seemed to have a knack of getting caught on bad pinches from the point. If he failed to keep the puck in on a pinch attempt and the opposition squeezed the puck off the boards and behind him, Jeff would be caught out of position and lacked the speed to catch up to the ensuing odd man rush against.

Pentti Lund

2011-02-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

Pentti lund was only the second Finnish born player in the NHL ever (after Al Pudas). He was also the second European born player ever to win the Calder Trophy as the Rookie of the year in 1949 (after Dave "Sweeney" Schriner).

Pentti was born in Karijoki, Finland 1925 and came to Thunder Bay in Canada as a six-year old. He got all his hockey training over in North America. Before he came to the NHL he played for the Port Arthur West-Enders / Navy in the Thunder Bay junior hockey league where he led the league in scoring two seasons in a row. He also spend three years in the Canadian navy during WW II. Pentti continued with his success in the EHL where he played for the Boston Olympics. He led all playoff scorers in the 1946 playoffs with 13 goals. The next season (1946-47) he dominated the EHL and scored a league high 49 goals and 92 pts in 56 games for the Olympics. He was also the leading scorer in the playoffs with 8 assists and 15 pts. His impressive season even gave him the opportunity to make his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins in the 1947 playoffs (one game).

He played in two more playoff games the next season before Boston shipped him to the NY Rangers to complete an earlier transaction involving Grant Warwick on February 6, 1948. As a rookie for the NY Rangers, Pentti was an instant hit,scoring 30 points (14+16) in 59 games. Although his numbers aren't impressive by today standards it was enough to earn him the Calder Trophy.

The next season (1949-50) Pentti scored 18 goals,but he was more noted for his heroics in the playoffs. He not only led all playoff scorers with 11 points (6+5) in 12 games but also managed to shut down Montreal's super star Maurice "Rocket " Richard. Richard only managed to score in one of the five games thanks to Pentti's relentless checking of him
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Pentti himself managed to score a hat trick in a 4-1 win in game 3. After the series he was dubbed "Lucky Lund" by the Montreal media. He then continued with his fine play in the finals where the Rangers eventually lost in 7 games to Detroit.

His playoff heroics proved to be his last big moment in the NHL. He slumped to just four goals and 20 pts in 1950-51. He was dealt back to Boston with Gus Kyle for Paul Ronty on September 20, 1951. Pentti suffered a serious eye injury during the 1951-52 season that almost ended his career. He rebounded back from the injury and played the entire season in Boston where he scored 17 points (8+9). Pentti finished his career with the Soo Greyhounds of the NOHA. (North Ontario Hockey Association). where he played until 1955.

Pentti's brother Joe also played professionally for a long time although he did not quite make it to the NHL. After Pentti's career was over he became a longtime sports editor of the Thunder Bay Times-News. Today he splits his time between Thunder Bay and Florida.

Special thanks to Patrick Houda

Larry Kwong

2011-02-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

As a child, Larry Kwong shared the same dream as most other proud Canadian boys living in the small town of Vernon, British Columbia - to play hockey. He'd play every day as a child, dreaming of playing in the National Hockey League. And Larry was one of the lucky few who were able to one day play in the NHL - mind you it was just for one game.

The one thing that separated Larry from every other hockey loving Canadian was the fact that he was Asian. In fact, Larry Kwong was the very first person of Asian descent to appear in the NHL.

Larry (birth name was Eng Kai Geong) lost his father when he was just 5, and his mother was not supportive of his hockey hobby. However she did allow him to play as he his reward for helping out with the raising of his 14 siblings. He would go on to play for several local hockey teams - Nanaimo, Trail, Vancouver, even Red Deer, Alberta - but always remained close to home to help his mother.

But that all changed in 1946. A year after returning from military service, Larry was summoned to the bright lights of the big city of New York. The NHL Rangers at the time operated an EHL farm team out of the Madison Square Gardens called the Rovers. Larry was brought into help out that team, and he did an admirable job, scoring 32 goals in 64 games over two seasons in the EHL.

Moving from small town Canada to New York City was quite an adjustment for "The China Clipper."

"Don't forget, I was a young kid from Vernon, British Columbia. I think the town had a population of about 5000 people. Just coming to New York was something," he said.

During the 1947-48 season injuries started taking their toll on the Rangers lineup, and call-ups from the minor league team were frequent. Larry was red hot in the minors and the Rangers took the opportunity to market "King Kwong" as a gate attraction.

Though Kwong was used to playing in the Madison Square Garden, he described his only NHL appearance there as "overwhelming." He wasn't used to the full house of spectators that was almost 4 times as many people as the population of his hometown, and there was much media hullabaloo surrounding his Chinese heritage.

Canada's discrimination against the Chinese in those days is a bad secret that is tried to kept swept under the rug. He had trouble travelling with teams let along finding a barber or finding a job. When he played for the Trail Smoke Eaters, all other players worked at high paying jobs at the local smelter that owned the team. A job was arranged for Kwong, but no at the smelter but rather as a bellhop at a local hotel.

"Being Chinese, you were watched all the time. In those days, where I came from, you were confronted with discrimination. Chinese people were not hired by people to work. It was that kind of discrimination. I felt I had to try to do my best to show everyone we were just as good as them."

Kwong did just that by appearing in the big leagues, though his appearance was short. Kwong doesn't have a great recollection of the game, calling it a blur. He knew it was against the Montreal Canadiens but he couldn't tell a recent magazine reporter the score or the details of the game.

Kwong was sent back to the New York Rovers. The whole team quickly left the EHL and joined the QSHL. Larry would go on to become a top player in the QSHL, with the Valleyfield Braves. In fact in 1951 Kwong was named as the league's MVP.

Kwong played in the Q until late in his career when he would end up toiling in the IHL and EOHL before spending a season over in Britain - where no doubt they made a big deal about the Chinaman hockey player.

Hall of Fame goaltender Chuck Rayner remembered Kwong and described him as having "good skating skills and pretty good stick handling skills. He always gave it that old college try."

And by doing so, Larry Kwong made history.

Also See:

Fred Hunt

2011-02-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

Fred started his junior career in his hometown of Brantford. He played for the Brantford Lions (OHL) between 1933-35. He was no star in Brantford, but he was a pretty complete player who could be used in all situations. Between 1935-37 he continued his junior career for the St.Michaels Majors, also in the OHL. During the 1937 playoffs he showed his fine skills as he scored 17 points (10+7) in 13 games.

After finishing his junior hockey in Canada, he went to the Boston Bruin training camp in Hershey, Pa., in 1937. Fred was offered a contract to play pro in Providence, but turned it down and stayed to play for Hershey of the EHL (Eastern Amateur Hockey League).

Years later Fred looked back at that moment when he was at the 1937 training camp.

"Terry Reardon was at the same camp and turned pro with the Bruins. My center was Lloyd Blinco, who became the general manager and president of the Hershey Bears," Fred recalled.

"There's one thing about that first pro training camp I'll never forget. The Bentleys - Max and Doug - were sent home after being told they weren't even good enough to be offered Providence contracts."

In Hershey (EHL) Fred had a pretty successful stint. When he was offered to play with the Hershey team in the AHL he declined to play with the pro club.

"I was doing all right in amateur. Heck, I was making more than some of the pros. But the big thing was the amateur club got room and board thrown in, besides our salary, while the pros had to pay for both. I was actually winding up with more money as an amateur than a lot of the pros were." Fred said.

In 1938-39 Fred scored a respectable 54 points (22+32) in 53 games for the EHL Hershey team. Obviously a city the size of Hershey, Pa, couldn't support two hockey teams so the amateur club (EHL) folded after the 38-39 season. Fred was signed by NY Americans on September 29,1939 and went on to play for the Baltimore Orioles in the EHL in 1939-40 and scored 58 points (31+27) in 59 games as the Orioles won the EHL title.

Then in the fall of 1940, legendary Eddie Shore acquired Fred and took him to Springfield in the AHL. Fred remembered his first pro game:

" Do I remember my first pro game ? You bet. I scored three goals in Philadelphia against the Ramblers. The late Max Kaminsky was my center. I guess I had a couple of assists, too, and we won easily."
Fred went on to score 44 points (17+27) in 40 games for Springfield. He played so well that he was called up in early December and made his big league debut in the old Madison Square Garden against the rival NY Rangers. Fred scored 7 points (2+5) during his 15 game stint with the NY Americans.

Soon the NY Americans disbanded and dropped out of the NHL and Eddie Shore lost his arena in Springfield to the U.S. Army for a quartermaster's depot. Eddie Shore made a deal with his old buddy Lou Jacobs who had a pretty lousy team in Buffalo. Eddie brought in his Springfield players who had finished first in their division and mixed them with some of the Buffalo players. Eddie Shore became the general manager and part owner of the team and Art Chapman who coached the NY Americans moved in as a playing coach.

This combination was an instant success as the Buffalo Bisons won the Calder Cup (AHL's Stanley Cup) the first two years. This proved to be an important move for Fred who made his home in Buffalo for the rest of his life. There he met his wife Alda and enjoyed his most successful seasons. Fred played for Buffalo between 1942-44 and 45-49.

His best seasons in Buffalo came in 1942-43, 57 points (27+30) in 50 games. In 1943-44, he had 80 points (27+53) in 52 games and finished as the runner-up in the scoring race. His 53 assists was tops in the league. He also collected 16 points (5+11) in 9 playoff games. The 11 assists was also best in the league. Then in 1945-46 Fred scored 70 points (27+43) in 62 games and had a league leading 11 assists and 16 points (5+11) in 12 games.

"I always had a clause in my contract - in Buffalo, that is - calling for a bonus for scoring 25 or more goals. And I always just squeezed past it - 27, 27, 27 and 26. But I felt I earned the money. I killed penalties, played the power plays...did everything they asked me to do" Fred said.

He formed one of the best lines in the AHL during the 1940's together with Fred Thurier and Larry Thibault. They were called the THT line. When Fred had his second stint in the NHL 1944-45 with the NY Rangers he played on the same line as Fred Thurier. Fred H. scored 22 points (13+9) in 44 games. The NY Rangers had acquired his rights in a special dispersal draft on September 11,1943.

In 1948-49 Fred was considering retiring as the February deadline for changing players approached. But before he made a decision, the Bisons made it for him. They traded him to Hershey as payment for two players they had recieved earlier. The move almost payed off as Fred almost won another Calder Cup.

" We were winning three-one in games over Providence in the finals and in the fifth game, in Providence, I went into the boards and wound up with 60 stitches and a concussion. We lost the series in seven games. I had been thinking about quitting anyway, and that spill was my last appearance as an active hockey player." Fred scored a total of 418 points (175+243) in 416 regular season AHL games.

Fred went on to a successful precision casting business as well as an automobile agency. But in 1952 he was back in hockey and went on to become the GM of the Buffalo Bisons for over two decades.

Special thanks to Patrick Houda

Rod Gilbert

2011-01-09T19:42:00.000-08:00

Rod Gilbert overcame a serious injury to not only become a legend of the ice but to become one of the brightest stars on Broadway.

During a junior game, Gilbert skated over a piece of debris on the ice and suffered a broken back. He had two operations to correct the damage from the injury and he almost lost his life as a result of the surgeries.

"During a home game I tripped over a cardboard lid from an ice cream container and wound up breaking my back," said Gilbert in Stan Fischler's book Heroes and History. "From that point on I went through hell - trips to the Mayo Clinic, spinal fusion and doubts that I'd play again - but the Rangers stuck with me. They provided me with the best of care and eventually, I was on the road to recovery. The Rangers, by this time, had figured that I could be an important player for them during the 1960s and my junior record showed why they had such faith," said Gilbert

Indeed it did. He played 4 years with the Guelph Biltmores, and in his final season scored 54 goals and 103 points in just 47 games!!

Gilbert persevered through the freak injury and reached his goal of playing in the NHL with the New York Rangers by 1962-63. For his persistence he would be given the Masterton Memorial Trophy late in his career.

His start actually happened in the spring of 1962. Forward Ken Schinkel had broken his toe and was unable to continue in the Rangers playoff series with the Maple Leafs. Gilbert was called up and played on a line with Dave Balon and Johnny Wilson, and impressed with 2 goals, both in his first game, and 5 points in 4 games, although the Rangers would ultimately lose the series. Gilbert's postseason impression though was enough to keep him in the city that never sleeps for the next 18 wonderful years!.

Gilbert teamed with Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield to form that GAG (goal a game) line, one of the most feared threesomes in hockey history. Gilbert and Ratelle had played together since they were 10 years old. Gilbert lived next door to the esteemed Brothers of Sacred Heart school where Ratelle, a gifted student, was enrolled. Playing shinny and keep-away on the frozen ponds of the school grounds, the two immediately formed a friendship and hockey tandem that was clearly something special.

When I first saw (Ratelle) on the ice, I said, 'You play with me all the time, okay?' We started playing peewee and played in the finals at a tournament in the Montreal Forum when we were twelve years old," recalls Gilbert with a grin.

The Rangers were impressed by Gilbert at the early age of 14.

A man named Yvon Prud'homme invited me to play senior hockey with men in their late-twenties. We played for the Allan Cup. I was just fourteen. This man, Yvon Prud'homme, had been hired by the New York Rangers to start a competitive Junior B league in Montreal. When he signed me, I told him, 'I have a friend I've been playing with since I was a kid and he's better than me. Sign him up and we'll play together.' He signed Jean Ratelle without ever seeing him play."

Clearly it was the best thing that had happened in Manhattan's hockey landscape since the days of Lester Patrick and Boucher and the Cook brothers.

"When I got to New York, the Rangers were in last place. We were re-building," states Rod

But soon the franchise began to make some pro-active moves. Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1964-65, bringing Rod Seiling, Arnie Brown, Bob Nevin and Dickie Duff to Broadway. Later, Emile Francis secured Eddie Giacomin for goal. The team drafted Brad Park, too. Then, Gilbert and Ratelle found the winger they needed to form one of the most explosive forward lines in NHL history - the GAG Line (Goal A Game).

"Jean and I needed somebody to go to the front of the net and hold his ground. Emile Francis decided that Vic Hadfield was the guy. Vic had a very short fuse. He was a tough guy; very robust. He established himself well in front (of the net) and could shake himself loose from the defense. The two of us (Ratelle and Gilbert) got him the puck and he scored fifty goals one year (1971-72). By being in front and yelling for the puck, Vic developed really good scoring skills."

In 1971-72 the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup final, Gilbert's one and only shot at a league championship. However Bobby Orr's Boston Bruins were too powerful for the arch-rivals from New York.

"Boston acquired Phil Esposito from Chicago and this young kid that came out of Oshawa named Bobby Orr. They picked up Gerry Cheevers and soon Boston and New York were one and two in the standings," recalls Rod. "We were supposed to win the Stanley Cup in '71, '72 and '73. We had a really good team but Bobby Orr made the difference between the two of us. Boston won two Cups instead of the Rangers. What a rivalry we had! We were very close in talent."

That 1971-72 season was magical for the GAG line. Vic Hadfield topped the 50 goal mark, while Ratelle and Gilbert most likely would have as well, but both were felled with injuries late in the season, causing them to miss time and the magical 50 goal mark. Imagine that - all three members of a forward line scoring 50 goals!

"That was the best team I ever played for and it showed. Jean Ratelle led in scoring even though he played in only 63 games. Vic Hadfield was second on the club and we were strong up and down the line, from Eddie Giacomin and Gilles Villemure in goal, to Brad Park, Dale Rolfe and Rod Seiling on defense. Fellows like Walt Tkaczuk, Billy Fairbairn and Peter Stemkowski gave us tremendous balance."

Gilbert was also member of Team Canada during the legendary September 1972 Summit Series versus the former Soviet Union. He helped his country win one of the greatest hockey series of the century.

"The biggest moment was when we won Game Eight. I made the play to Bill White to tie the score at three-all. And then we got the win and that was exhilarating, emotional and very satisfying."

"Yvan Cournoyer told me, 'I would give up all my Stanley Cups for that one experience.' Of all the Cups he won, that was his biggest thrill; his biggest accomplishment. That win with Team Canada in 1972 was my Stanley Cup."

Gilbert went on to compete for the Rangers until the 1977-78 season. Over his 18-year career, Gilbert recorded 406 goals, 615 assists and 1,021 points in 1,065 regular season games. In 79 playoff games, he collected 34 goals and 67 points. He set or equaled 20 team scoring records and when he retired in 1977, he trailed only one other right winger (Gordie Howe) in total points.

While the Stanley Cup is the goal of every hockey player, only a select few get to sip champagne from it. It was not in Rod Gilbert's destiny to win the Cup, but that in no way should diminish the contributions he made to the game of hockey.

"I would have loved to have played on a Stanley Cup winner; that's for sure. But I had my share of thrills and, in a lot of ways, I was very lucky guy considering my dream of making the NHL and being able to do what I did with all those back problems."

Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982, Gilbert was a fan favorite in New York, and is often considered to be the greatest New York Ranger in the team's long history. Given the competition such as Frank Boucher in the early days and Mark Messier in the current era, that is a fascinating feat on its own.

"Rod Gilbert was our Wayne Gretzky, or our Bobby Hull, or our Rocket Richard," said Emile Francis.

Frank Boucher

2011-01-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

Often considered to be the Wayne Gretzky of his day because of his superior playmaking skills and understanding of the game, Frank Boucher had the gentility, class and manners rarely matched at such an elite level. In a game that is enthralled by it's violent behavior, Boucher won the Lady Byng Trophy, emblematic of gentlemanly play and excellence, 7 times from 1928-1935. In fact in 1935 he was given the trophy to keep, and a second trophy was created to give to the annual winner.

Barely standing 5'9" and weighing a mere 135lbs, he was strong and sleek on his skates. He was a genius of a puck handler, with this uncanny ability of drawing defenders to him while the his linemates Bill and Bun Cook raced to open holes. Selflessly, and almost without fail, he would thread the puck through defenders, right on to the stick! He was truly the balance wheel on arguably hockey's best line. He also was credited for perfecting the drop pass so common in today's game.

He debuted in 1921-22 in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. A native of Ottawa, Boucher grew up playing hockey from dawn to dark on the frozen Rideau River. It was at this early age that he developed his meticulously clean style of play, emulating the great Frank Nighbor - his idol. But soon his hockey journey moved him out to the Vancouver Maroons of the PCHA where he starred for 4 years in the NHL calibre league.

Boucher was acquired by the NY Rangers in 1926-27 and was paired with the Cook brothers Bill and Bun. The "A" Line or "Bread" Line quickly became the most feared in hockey, and remains one of the most potent in NHL history. The threesome would lead the Rangers to the Stanley Cup in just their second year.

Feathering pucks masterfully to the Cooks in a Gretzky-like fashion, "Raffles" led the league in assists three times. While it is tough for a modern fan to comprehend just how impressive Boucher's statistics were, Total Hockey once did an interesting study to translate old scoring totals into modern times. The study really puts Boucher's brilliance into perspective. In his first 5 seasons Boucher would have scored 100 assists! In fact, Boucher's league leading 16 assists in the assist-rare 1928-29 season would translate into 151 assists today! And in Boucher's first 4 seasons Boucher would have averaged about 175 adjusted point! In total, Boucher's adjusted career totals would have been 401 goals, 1000 assists and 1401 points!

Of course such studies are fun though flawed and in the end interesting but useless. Frank's real career totals with 160 goals, 263 assists, and 423 points in 557 games. What no statistic or study will ever reflect would be the true artistry of this great hockeyist. When modern fans compare Wayne Gretzky to Frank Boucher, the compliment is very telling of just how good Frank was!

While best known as a player, it should be noted Boucher later coached the Rangers and captured the Stanley Cup in his first season as a coach. His coaching record isn't great as his team was decimated by War and struggled for years to regain elite status. Boucher's biggest problem was he never had a player as good as he was. He was an innovative coach. He developed the now common box penalty kill formation. He also was the first coach to pull his goaltender for an extra attacker.

Its really too bad that only the old timers got to witness Frank Boucher, as he'd be one of the all time greats if he played post WWII. One of the old-timers that did really respect Boucher's skills was legendary broadcaster Foster Hewitt. While broadcasting the 1972 Summit Series in 1972, the highly skilled Soviets reminded Hewitt of Boucher.

"There aren't many people around to remember" Hewitt said, even 30 years ago. "but the way the Russians play reminds me of the old Rangers, especially the line of Boucher and the Cooks. They were even better than the Russians. When Frank, Bill and Bunny were on the ice, it always seemed to me they had the puck on the string."

Bob Chrystal

2011-01-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

Bob Chrystal, born in Winnipeg in 1930, played two seasons with the New York Rangers. He patrolled the Broadway blue line in 1953-54 and 1954-55, providing a physical presence with his rugged and enthusiastic play. He also added 11 goals and 25 points in 132 total NHL games.

Before turning pro, Chrystal was a key member of the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Manitoba Junior League, twice appearing in the Memorial Cup, including in 1949 when they lost a heart-breaker to the Montreal Royals.

After his junior career Chrystal spent a year in the USHL with Denver before spending two seasons with the AHL Cleveland Barons. After his two years with Cleveland he was traded to the NHL Rangers.

After his two year stint in the Big Apple concluded, Chrystal returned to the Canadian prairie and the old Western (professional) Hockey League. After a year with the Saskatoon Quakers he returned to Brandon to play with the Regals. Unfortunately the Regals moved to Saskatchewan and later St. Paul, Minnesota, so Bob's homecoming was short though sweet.

In 1958-59 Chrystal played his final season of serious hockey in his hometown with the Winnipeg Warriors.

Doug Sulliman

2011-01-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest lines in the history of hockey came out of the WHA and the city of Winnipeg. Bobby Hull joined European imports Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg on hockey's most exciting line of the 1970s.

Nilsson and Hedberg jumped to the NHL's New York Rangers by the end of the decade. To begin the 1979-80 season, who did they start playing along side? A rookie named Doug Sulliman.

Hopefully nobody actually expected Sulliman to be the next Bobby Hull. History tells us he was not even close. He survived in the NHL as a decidedly average player in almost every regard other than skating speed. He would develop into a 20 goal scorer in the high scoring 80s. A versatile winger who could move around the line up, he could play a third line checking role or moving up to a secondary offensive role.
After two disappointing seasons in New York the Rangers traded Sulliman as part of a package to acquire Mike Rogers. Although his best statisical season (29 goals and 69 points in 1981-82) came in Hartford, most of Sulliman's best years came with the New Jersey Devils. After a 27 goal, 53 point season in 1986-87 he was honoured as the team's Players’ MVP, Fan Club MVP, Good Guy Award, and was the team’s nominee for the NHL's Masterton Trophy.

Playing on some rather weak teams allowed Sulliman to assume a more offensive role than he probably should have. Sulliman played 631 career NHL games, scoring 160 goals and 168 assists for 328 points.

Bill Fairbairn

2010-12-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

Bill Fairbairn, who was nicknamed Bulldog as a junior, was a tenacious two-way hockey player who loved to hit.

"I used the boards a lot, grinding it up and down one side," explained Bill as described his style of play. "I stayed on my wing and used the boards as sort of a cushion you might say. It was a pretty hard cushion, but a cushion nonetheless."

But unlike many pugnacious wingers of his day, Fairbairn was fair, pardon the pun. He was a very clean player for the most part. He only accumulated 173 PIM in 658 regular season games. His highest PIM seasonal total was 53 PIM in 1971-72, and that was uncharacteristically high for the little guy.

Bill Fairbairn was born in Brandon, Manitoba. He grew up as a star local player, culminating in his joining of the famed local junior club, the Brandon Wheat Kings, a New York Rangers sponsored junior team, in 1964-65. In 55 games he scored 28 goals with 31 assists. Fairbairn's sophomore season was even better. In 60 games he recorded 36 goals along with 76 assists. During Bill's last season in Brandon, 1966/67, he served as team Captain of the Wheat Kings and posted an incredible 60 goals and 81 assists in 55 games.

The 1967-68 season found Fairbairn playing with the C.H.L. Omaha Knights. He was teamed up with his former Wheat King teammate, Juha Widing and the two quickly found their rythym. Fairbairn's first season in the minors saw him record 23 goals with 33 assists for 56 points, just 4 points behind Widing for the team lead. The following season Fairbairn and Widing took their game to a higher level. In 68 games recorded 28 goals and 47 assists for 75 points. That placed Bill second in team scoring (behind Widing) and 6th overall in league scoring. For his efforts Bill was named to the CHL second All Star team and even got a one game call-up with the NY Rangers.

The 1969/70 season was Fairbairn's first full season in the N.H.L.. Fairbairn and Widing were both promoted to the Rangers squad, but not on the same line. Widing was soon traded to Los Angeles which meant Fairbairn had to find a new niche. He found that niche came on the Rangers checking line.

Fairbairn found a home with Dave Balon (later Steve Vickers) and Walt Tkaczuk on the "Bulldog Line." The trio were renowned for their hard hitting, hard forechecking style. Though defense was their primary concern, the line chipped in offensively as well. Fairbairn scored more than 20 goals 4 times and even topped the 30 goal mark in 1972-73. In all Fairbairn played with Rangers for 7 years. He was a consistent 60 point contributor who was at his best when he was running into people and causing havoc with his spirited, "bulldog-like" play.

Bill was traded to the Minnesota North Stars on November 11, 1976. By this point of his career Bill had clearly lost a step and injuries were starting to take their toll on the physical winger. He was exposed on waivers and claimed by the St. Louis Blues on October 24, 1977, which is where he ended his career the following season.

In Fairbairn's 10 year N.H.L. career he appeared in 658 games, scoring 162 goals with 260 assists.

Rod Seiling

2010-12-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

This Rod Seiling hockey card is O-Pee-Chee card #71 from 1968. It is not his rookie card (that came out in the 1964-65 season) but I am a big fan of this 1968 set with the fake, colorless background and the contrasting highlighted featured player.

Now coming out of junior, Seiling was a heck of a player. Coach Emile Francis, a contagiously enthusiastic speaker, once said "the prize of all our defensemen is Rod Seiling and he's only 20. He can be great. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if he becomes another Doug Harvey."

Wow - now that is high praise. Many people still consider Harvey to be the 2nd greatest defenseman to ever play the game, behind Bobby Orr. And more than a few lingering old timers would give Harvey the edge over Orr in that debate.

Seiling never did quite enter that echelon of hockey stardom. But he was a quality blue liner for 11 seasons in Manhattan.

Seiling was a finesse defenseman at heart, which was not always a good thing in New York. The Rangers fans notoriously favored rough and tumble hockey players, especially on the back end. They hounded Hockey Hall of Famers Allan Stanley and Harry Howell with choruses of boos because they were rambunctious enough back there.

Seiling made the most of us his first impressions with the Rangers faithful. He was of good size, though he never had the inclination to be a true bruiser. But he would hit to make a play, like he famously did on his first shift in his first game. He slammed Chicago great Pierre Pilote with a thunderous and clean hit, earning many cheers from those in attendance at Madison Square Gardens that night. Such hits may have been rare by Seiling, but the boos never did come for #16.

Best known for his defensive game rather than his offense, similar to a contemporary player like Teppo Numminen. Seiling scored 50 goals and 248 points in 644 games with the Rangers. He later moved on to play Washington, Toronto, St. Louis and Atlanta, upping his NHL career totals to 979 games played with 62 goals and 331 points.

Seiling was never an All Star or a threat for the Norris Trophy, but he was invited to Team Canada for the 1972 Summit Series. It was thought Seiling would be a valuable asset against the Soviets, as he was one of the few NHL players to have previously played them. Seiling previously played in the Olympics as an amateur in 1964. However Seiling was ineffective against the Soviets of '72, and dressed for only three contests.

Fred Thurier

2010-12-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

Fred Thurier, who was born in Granby Quebec on January 11, 1916, played with the American Hockey League's Springfield Indians from 1937 through 1942, with brief appearances (30 games total) with the NHL's New York Americans.

Thurier's best season in the Indians came in 1939-40 when he scored 28 goals and 60 points. Thurier led the AHL in goals with 29 in 1940-41 despite playing just 41 games. He also saw his first action in the NHL, scoring 2 goals and 3 points in 3 games. Thurier then split the 1941-42 season between the AHL and NHL, scoring 20 goals and 44 points in just 22 AHL games, and chipping in 7 goals and 14 points in 27 games with the NY Americans.

Thurier then spent most of the next two years serving military time based in Montreal, where he also played with in the local senior league circuit. Thurier did not exactly want to be involved in the war effort, however. On November 13th, 1942, the RCMP arrested Thurier for failing to report to military training.

For the 1944-45 season, the New York Rangers acquired Thurier's playing rights. Thurier was relieved of his military commitments earlier than many NHLers, and his reward was his only full NHL season. He scored 16 goals and 35 points in 50 games. However by the following season the NHL was once again stocked by its returning war heroes, and Thurier lost his NHL job.

Thurier spent the next 7 seasons playing with the AHL's Cleveland Barons before retiring in 1952. The small but slick center enjoyed his finest season in 1950-51 when he scored 32 goals and 95 points in 64 games while adding another 12 in 10 playoff games.

He later served as a long time AHL referee, while also owning a meat packing company in Ohio.

A heartwarming moment happened in 1996. Thurier was inducted into the Springfield Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996. It was his first time back in Springfield since 1942 when he left the city to play with the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL. He looked up a sweetheart of his and was surprised to find her still in the area. Since they were both widowed, they rekindled their romance and were married soon after.

Thurier, who is also a member of the Cleveland Hockey Hall of Fame, scored 25 goals and 52 points in 80 NHL games.

The Springfield Union-News featured an obituary for Fred Thurier. He passed away on November 20, 1999 in Florida. He was 82.

Vic Howe

2010-12-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

If there is anybody who could understand what it was like to be Brent or Keith Gretzky, it was Vic Howe.

Vic, the younger and smaller brother of the legendary Gordie Howe, could appreciate the unfair pressure placed upon Wayne Gretzky's siblings. Coming from the same family everyone expects you to be similar to the most successful brother, and if you faltered early you were considered to be a big bust.

"Being Gordie's brother was great," admitted Vic. "But trying to play like him, well, that was another story! At times there was a great deal of pressure on me. I know I put a lot of pressure on myself."

"There was never any doubt in my mind that Gordie was a better player than me. But it just seemed that every time I turned around, somebody was always comparing the two of us. It was just something I had to live with."

Vic recalled a specific incident back in Saskatoon with the WHL that he would relive in his career several times.

"I had a breakaway and I went in on goal but had some trouble putting the puck past the goalie." said Vic, who like Gordie played right wing. "I missed the shot. I got back over to the bench and sat down and our coach, Doug Bentley, stepped behind me and said 'Gordie wouldn't have missed that shot.' So it didn't matter what I did. It would never be good enough."

Vic Howe never seriously pursued a hockey career until his brother turned pro. Ironically, he likely never would have been given a shot at the NHL if he wasn't the brother of Gordie Howe.

Vic played parts of 3 seasons with the New York Rangers - 33 games in total - and scoring 3 goals and 7 points. His biggest highlight was getting a chance to play against Detroit and his brother.

"I can remember playing against Gordie a couple of times. I even recall lining up against him and then having to go into the corner against him for a puck. He took it easy on me and didn't give me any of the elbows he is famous for!"

When he wasn't making a rare appearance with the Rangers, Vic bounced around the minor league circuit. He played in 6 different leagues ranging from Nelson British Columbia to the British Isles - where he played with the Harringay Racers.

Vic returned to Canada and became a constable for the Canadian National Railway in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Ivan Irwin

2010-12-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

There was an old-time New York Ranger press agent by the name of Herb Goren. It was his job to get the Rangers in the newspapers and capture a part of the entertainment pie in Manhattan. He would often hype up players in attempts to make them household names in the Big Apple.

Goren quickly dubbed Ivan Irwin as Ivan the Terrible. However it was never quite determined whether Goren was referring to his short temper and rugged style of play, or his lack of talent!

When Irwin was on the top of his game, the tall, balding defenseman was a sensational bodychecker, and played with a meanstreak that made other coaches envious. But when he wasn't on his game, Irwin was exploited by his poor skating abilities. Faster players would take their chances on getting creamed, knowing that if they could get the extra step on the less-than-mobile Irwin they could be in home free on the Rangers net.

Irwin was originally property of the Montreal Canadiens. After playing just 4 games in Montreal, he was traded to the Rangers for Eddie Slowinski and Pete Babando. In his first minor league call up to the Rangers he replaced none-other than team captain Allan Stanley.

For the next three years he was a mainstay on the Blue Shirts blue line. He was most noted for his fistic skills, memorably fighting Lee Fogolin Sr, and, believe it or not, his own defensive partner Leapin' Louie Fontinato in practice one day. Coach Phil Watson was surprisingly quoted as being pleased by the teammate fight because they were showing passion but his like for Irwin dissipated over time. After three seasons Irwin, who also tag-teamed with the great Bill Gadsby at times, would be banished to the minor leagues, reportedly in part due to a disagreement with the coach.

The Chicago-born Irwin continued his career in the minor leagues. In the NHL he totaled 155 games, 2 goals and 29 points.

Dave Creighton

2010-12-02T20:53:00.000-08:00

Back in the late 1940s, it was very unusual for a teenager to make it to the National Hockey League, but that is exactly what Dave Creighton was able to do. It wasn't easy on the Port Arthur Ontario native either.

"It was tough being 18 and playing in the NHL. The average for most guys on the Bruins at the time was about 27 or 28. Because of my age I was mostly a loner. There was nobody even close to my age to chum around with. It was sort of tough when all the rest of the guys went out for beers after a game and I would go out for a milkshake," said Creighton.

Life on the ice was equally tough too.

"Going into the NHL was a whole new experience for me," he recalled. "The first NHL game I ever saw was the first NHL I ever played in!" Creighton played in 12 games that first year, scoring 1 goal and 3 assists. He also saw action in 3 post season games.

1949-50 was his first full season, and it was a decent one, scoring 18 goals and 31 assists in 64 games.

Creighton found it tough: "You weren't given any special treatment either. If I made a mistake, I might end up sitting on the end of the bench for the rest of the game, or for a couple of games. And sometimes with no explanation. Nothing!."

Creighton survived his early introduction to live in the National Hockey League however. He would become a constant 20 goals threat and played in 5 straight all star games from 1952 through 1956. He also became a well traveled NHLer as well, playing with the Bruins, Leafs, Hawks and Rangers back in the 6 team league. For brief moments Creighton was property of the other two teams as well, the Red Wings and Canadiens, but never played for them.

By the time Dave made his second go-around with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1958-59, Dave was nearing the end of his NHL career. He was farmed out to the the minor leagues where he played with several AHL teams. He was a standout in the "A" throughout the 1960s, even winning the MVP award in 1968.

Dave hung up the blades in the summer of 1969. Though Dave was never paid nearly as much money as today's NHLers make, he was smart with the little he did have. He invested it in apartment complexes while still playing with the Rangers. Eventually he had enough money to begin investing in something closer to his heart - golf. He invested in several golf courses and lived in Florida in his later years attending to his greens.

Laurie Scott

2010-10-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hockey players, regardless of era, tend to be a superstitious lot. There are some great stories out there, but I suspect the story of Laurie Scott's superstitious ways has probably taken on mythic proportions over the years.

Scott, born in 1900, played 62 NHL games over two season. In 1926-27 he skated in 39 games with the New York Americans, scoring 6 goals and 2 assists. The following year he was on the move, though not very far. He joined the New York Rangers. But after 23 games, a single assist, and a broken nose, Scott was demoted to the minor leagues, never to return. The Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup later that season. Scott did not get his name on the Stanley Cup. Scott continued to play pro puck until 1935, playing with minor league teams in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma City and St. Louis.

Described as a clever goal scorer, Scott was said to be a very superstitious sort. He had to be the last player on the ice when leaving the dressing room. He also insisted on having all of his sticks facing upwards. No one was to mess with his stick preference, either. The story has it that when Scott entered the rink and found that someone had turned his sticks around, he angrily retired from the game right then and there!

Scott, who was also quite a baseball player, found his way to San Jose after leaving the ice. He initially started out coaching in the little known California Pro Hockey League, but settled into owning his own trailer park.

Laurie Scott died on February 15th, 1977.

New York Rangers Greatest Players

2010-09-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

Taffy Abel
Lloyd Ailsby
Andy Aitkenhead
Clint Albright
Mike Allison
Oscar Asmundson
Walt Atanas
Oscar Aubuchon
Dave Balon
Jim Bartlett
Andy Bathgate
Barry Beck
Danny Belisle
Frank Boucher
Hy Buller
Steve Buzinski
Larry Cahan
Lorne Chabot
Bruce Cline
Bill Cook
Bun Cook
Mac Colville
Neil Colville
Art Coulter
Cecil Dillon
Ron Duguay
Frank Eddolls
Phil Esposito
Nick Fotiu
Bob Froese
Robbie Ftorek
Red Garrett
Mike Gartner
Eddie Giacomin
Rod Gilbert
Phil Goyette
Gilles Gratton
Adam Graves
Ron Greschner
Wayne Gretzky
Vic Hadfield
Pat Hannigan
Andy Hebenton
Ott Heller
Camille "The Eel" Henry
Bryan Hextall
Dutch Hiller
Greg Holst
Harry Howell
Early Ingarfield
Ted Irvine
Jaromir Jagr
Ching Johnson

Dave Kerr
Eddie Kullman
Tom Laidlaw
Edgar Laprade
Brian Leetch
Tony Leswick
Dave Maloney
Don Maloney
Don Marshall
Larry Melnyk
Mark Messier
Joe Miller
Billy Moe
Don Murdoch
Murray Murdoch
Jim "Chief" Neilson
Bob Nevin
Bernie Nicholls
Brian Noonan
Brad Park
James Patrick
Lester Patrick
Lynn Patrick
Muzz Patrick
Alf Pike
Walt Poddubny
Babe Pratt
Leo Quenneville
Bones Raleigh
Jean Ratelle
Mike Richter
John Ross Roach
Mike Rogers
Reijo Ruotsalainen
Simo Saarinen
Earl Seibert
Alex Shibicky
Irv Spencer
Clint Smith
Pete Stemkowski
Walt Tkaczuk
Zellio Toppazzini
Phil Watson
Gump Worsley
Sergei Zubov

Bruce Cline

2010-09-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Bruce Cline spent many years starring in the minor leagues, most notably with the Springfield Indians, Hershey Bears, and Providence Reds. He scored 773 points in the AHL, won four Calder Cup championships and the 1956 AHL Rookie of the Year.

The right winger was described as "ferocious and fearless," he never really caught on in the National Hockey League. He was most likely discriminated against because of his size. He was just 5'7" and 135lbs.

The New York Rangers did give the Quebec born mighty mite a half-season look in 1956-57. He appeared in 30 games that season, often playing on a line with Larry Popein and Dean Prentice. He would only score 2 goals and 5 points in his time in the bigs. He was soon returned to the AHL where he played until 1968.

After hockey Bruce and his wife Elyse returned to Quebec and had many jobs, including restaurant owner, hockey stick salesman, real estate agent and owner of two clothing stores.

Greg Holst

2010-09-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Though his NHL career consisted of only 11 games, Greg Holst had a long and rewarding hockey career, most notably in Austria.

Born in Montreal, Greg started out by playing for University of New Brunswick where he collected 28 goals and 46 points in 37 games between 1971-73 and was a second team All-Star in 1973. Greg then won a spot on the Kingston Canadians (QMJHL) team and immediately became a vital part of that squad, leading the way with an 80 point performance.

Still, NHL scouts basically ignored him because he was a relatively small player at 5'10" and 170 lbs. The New York Rangers finally took a chance on him when they selected the little center 139th overall in 1974.

Apprenticing in the minor leagues, Greg had a successful first professional season in the rough Southern Hockey League (SHL). He chipped in with 70 points in 62 games for Winston-Salem Polar Bears and didn't back down from anyone, collecting a necessary 112 penalty minutes to survive.

Greg was invited to NY Rangers training camp before the start of the 1975-76 season and did very well, but was sent to Providence (AHL). In Providence he got a flying start and eventually captured the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as AHL's top rookie. In 69 games Greg scored 81 points, including 37 goals and 44 assists. In fact he played so well that he was called up to NY Rangers for two games.

The following two seasons Greg was still playing in the minors and couldn't crack the NY Rangers lineup. He played 5 games for New York in 1976-77 and 4 games in 1977-78. At this point he realized that he would probably be stuck in the minors for the rest of his career. That's when he started to look at other options.

When the Austrian club IEV Innsbruck offered Greg a lucrative contract in 1978, he thought to himself that it was worth a shot. Little did he know at that time that Austria would become his home.

Greg was an instant hit in Austria, and he would dominate the Austrian league for 15 years. In 533 regular season games he scored an impressive 921 points (462 goals and 459 assists). He also became an Austrian citizen and represented Austria in the Pool B World Championships on four occasions, winning the scoring title in 1983. He scored a total of 15 goals and 30 points in 28 WC games. In total he represented Austria on 53 occasions.

Greg's Austrian clubs included IEV Innsbruck (10 seasons), WEV Wien (1), HC Salzburg (1),VSV Villach (1), Gösser EV (1) and EC Graz (1). Greg eventually retired at the age of 39 in 1993, immediately turned to coaching in Austria.

In 1997-98 Greg became the coach for the Austrian U-20 and U-18 teams (juniors).He also became the assistant coach for the Austrian senior national team in 2000-2001.

Although his NHL career was very brief and hardly memorable, he made it up by having a long and rewarding European career. Somehow I suspect Greg Holst would not change a thing.

Earl Ingarfield

2010-09-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Throughout the 1960's, the highlights for the New York Rangers and their fans were few and far between. However one player who everyone appreciated was Earl Ingarfield.

Earl was definitely not considered to be a star hockey player by most standards, but rather a spirited and determined journeyman who did his job very well although virtually unnoticed. Only three times did the underrated Earl score more than 20 goals, yet he was known for his graceful skating and a booming shot.

After completing junior hockey for his hometown Lethbridge Native Sons, Earl turned pro in 1954, playing just two games for Vancouver of the WHL. However he soon put together 3 successful years under his belt and earned a trial with the New York Rangers in 1958. For the first two years in NY he saw little ice time, but by 1960 the soft spoken Earl made the team permanently, notching 13 goals in 66 games.

The following season, he enjoyed his best season as a pro, scoring 26 goals, 31 assists and 57 points while playing a full 70 game schedule.

Earl often played center with Andy Bathgate on the right side and Dean Prentice on the left. The 1962 playoffs against Toronto really defined Earl's career. With Earl in the lineup the Rangers were on the verge of upsetting the heavily favored Leafs. However Earl got knocked out of the series with a serious injury. The result was disastrous for the Rangers, who ended up losing the series. New York newspapers quickly immortalized Earl by criticizing the Rangers play minus Earl.

Earl remained on Broadway until the beginning of 1967-68. The Pittsburgh Penguins took the veteran forward in the first ever expansion draft. Earl played a year and a half in "Steeltown" before a trade to the west coast. Earl eventually finished his career in usual anonymity in Oakland, but did in 54 games have a 21 goal, 45 point year in 1969. He retired in 1971.

Earl's son Earl Jr also enjoyed a professional hockey career, but was nowhere near as successful. He scored 4 goals and 4 assists in 39 career NHL games.

Earl Ingarfield stayed involved with the game and went on to coach the Regina Pats (WCJHL) and later became a scout for NY Islanders as well as the director of player personnel.

Pat Hannigan

2010-08-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

This is Pat Hannigan as pictured on the 1961-62 Topps hockey card #58.

On the back the hockey card czars describe Hannigan as a "chunky right wing" who was "buzz-saw in the corners, not afraid to mix it with the big guys. Pat has the moxie and the good shot to worry opposition."

Hannigan was from Timmins, Ontario. Brothers Gordie and Ray played in the NHL, too. All took turns with the nickname Hopalong Hannigan, although it was Gordie who was best known by that moniker.

Hannigan was a proud star of the St. Michaels Majors junior team. Conn Smythe very much wanted to sign Hannigan for his Toronto Maple Leafs. He eventually got Hannigan's signature on the dotted line, although he did it rather unconventionally.

The story goes like this: Hannigan was refusing to sign with the Leafs so Smythe flew Pat's father down from Timmins to persuade him. Smythe told Mr. Hannigan that his "idiot son" should sign with the Leafs. Well, as hard as it may be to believe, that did not go over very well. The senior Hannigan stood up and angrily stated "I didn't raise any idiot sons" and left!

Pat eventually did sign with the Maple leafs, making his debut just before Christmas 1959. That would be his only game he would ever play for Toronto. The Leafs traded him and Johnny Wilson to the Rangers for Eddie Shack the next year.

Hannigan, utilized as a checking winger, did play the better parts of 1961 and 1962 with the Rangers but ultimately he was destined for many more years in the minor leagues. He played in Baltimore, Portland and Buffalo before the NHL expanded to 12 teams in 1967.

"It was a lot of fun, even in the minors. Though travelling by bus was hard. Hockey was very competitive then and with only six teams, it was hard to get up to the NHL and harder to stick. I made the first all- star team when I played in the Western League and the first all-star team when I played in the American League but that didn't seem to help me stick in the NHL."

Hanning was taken by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1967 expansion draft.His greatest thrill came when he was with the Flyers.

"My dad and mom came down and it was the first time they had ever seen me play in the NHL. I guess I got lucky because I scored two goals against Chicago and set up the winner and was picked the first star of the game."

Hannigan played in 72 games with the Flyers over 2 seasons before returning to bounce around the minor leagues until 1971. In 182 career NHL games Hannigan scored 30 goals and 69 points.

Long after he left the ice Pat found work for a beer distributor in Buffalo. But he always remained close to hockey. For a time he also served as a color commentator on Buffalo Sabres telecasts.

Hannigan later moved to be Fort Erie, Ontario where initially he started his own company which sold telephone systems, eventually selling it to a larger competitor. He later found the most rewarding work of his life when he worked at a safehouse for refugees to Canada.

Pat Hannigan died of a rare intestinal infection on December 11th, 2007. He was 71 years old.

Leo Quenneville

2010-07-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot is known about Leo Quenneville. But to answer your immediate question - no, he was not related to NHL player/coach Joel Quenneville.

Leo Quenneville was born wasy back on June 15th, 1900 in St. Anicet, Quebec. He played most of his hockey in Quebec, although he did get a 25 game tryout with the New York Rangers in the 1929-30 season. He was used sparingly, and picked up just 3 assists. He was a noted goal scorer in the minor and senior leagues.

Leo Quenneville died on April 9th, 1986.

Eddie Kullman

2010-06-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

Eddie Kullman, an aggressive right winger out of Winnipeg, was a defensive forward extraordinaire with the New York Rangers from 1947 through 1954, excluding the 1949-50 season when he was sent to the minor leagues.

Teammate Glen Somnor described Eddie as "the most diligent checking forard I've ever played with. Kullman never would think about scoring; just trail his check wherever the guy went."

Two of Kullman's primary targets were larger than life legends Maurice Richard and Gordie Howe. Kullman would inferiorate his opponents with his aggressive shadowing. Somehow he would eventually master the art of grabbing his target hard enough to stop him while hiding out of the sight of the referee!

Of course frustrating the league's top players can be a dangerous job, especially when you are ticking off two of the shortest-tempered players of all time in Richard and Howe. Once Richard turned around and clubbed Kullman over his bare head with his stick, poleaxe style. The resilient Kullman was taken off the ice but returned, wearing a helmet!

Howe once sucker punched Eddie behind the play. Howe kayoed Kullman with all his might!

Not surprisingly, Kullman's professional hockey career was relatively short. When the Rangers discarded him at the end of the 1954 season, he headed back to western Canada where he split a season between Saskatoon and Vancouver before hanging up the skates for good.

Robbie Ftorek

2010-06-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

Although he was too small to make a major impact at the National Hockey League level, Robbie Ftorek is a legend in Massachusetts where he starred in high school hockey. He is also a legend of the biggest major league outside of the NHL in the World Hockey Association.

Although stats are hard to come by, stories of Robbie's days at Needham High School are plentiful. One such story recently was remembered in the Boston Globe newspaper article:

They packed the place. A winter night in 1970. Ridge Arena in Braintree. People stuffed in every corner, filling the balcony.

They came to see Robbie Ftorek play hockey.

It was the 16th game of a perfect season for Needham High School, the defending state champions. Walpole, led by defenseman Mike Milbury, was the opponent. Walpole was the only team to beat Needham the previous season and the rink was rocking.

With about a minute and a half left in the game, Walpole scored to take a 3-1 lead. The Rebel bench exploded, players jumping onto the ice to celebrate, throwing their gloves into the air and into the stands.

In the minutes it took to restore order, Ftorek skated back to the goal to talk to his dejected sophomore goalie Cap Raeder.

''How many you want?'' he said.

''Huh?'' said Raeder.

''How many do you want?'' Ftorek repeated, jabbing his finger into Raeder's chest.

''Just get enough to win.''

In 52 seconds, Ftorek and his mates scored four goals, the last into an empty net, to pull off a miraculous victory. They went on to repeat as state champions and post an undefeated season.

''It was like magic,'' said Raeder, now a scout for the San Jose Sharks.

Magical is a good word to describe the highly skilled Ftorek. With his hockey stick as his wand, Ftorek carved out a reputation as an electrifying skater, a wonderful puck carrier, and an absolute wizard of a playmaker. He could also almost score at will, although he loved to set up a teammate for a picture-perfect goal even more so.

Ftorek went on to play hockey at higher levels once he graduated from high school. He spent a year playing Canadian junior hockey in Halifax, he joining the US national team. With the Nats Ftorek competed in the World Championships where he was an All Star scoring 7 goals and 10 points in 6 games. More importantly, Ftorek also got a chance to play with the 1972 US Olympic team. He chipped in 2 assists in 6 games, helping the Americans win a silver medal in Sapporo, Japan.

After the Olympics, he signed with the Detroit organization and played for Virginia of the AHL. He played two strong seasons with the Va. Wings, averaging a point a game. He also got a couple of brief callups to the NHL. He played in 15 NHL games over those two seasons, and scored 2 goals and 5 assists.

He jumped to the Phoenix Roadrunners of the fledgling World Hockey Association in 1974. It was a great career move for Ftorek. He had no idea just how much success he'd achieve with the upstart league, but he got a big pay raise from his minor league salary and got to play with some much more talented players.

Robbie achieved some dizzying numbers in the WHA. In total he scored 216 goals and 307 assists for 523 points in just 373 games. He spent the first three years in the WHA with the Roadrunners, scoring 68, 113 and a career-high 117 points respectively. The Roadrunners folded in 1976 and Ftorek move on to Cincinnati where he continued to light up the scoreboard. In 1977-78 he scored a career high 59 goals along with 50 assists for 109 points. He followed that up with his best season in the WHA. He scored 116 points, just one shy of his personal best, but more importantly was named the league MVP.

In 1979, the NHL absorbed the WHA, and Ftorek became a Quebec Nordique. He played two years in Quebec City, serving as team captain. However he never was able to come close to his dominating self in the NHL. He had one good NHL season, his second with the Nords when he scored 24 goals and 73 points, but otherwise was shutdown. He had some injury problems and was getting on in age by the time he finally stuck in the NHL, but it just goes to show you the difference in quality between the two leagues.

Robbie finished his playing career as a part time player with the New York Rangers, occasionally seeing time in the minor leagues. He finished his career with 77 goals, 150 assists and 227 points in 334 NHL games.

A great student of the game, Ftorek was a popular television commentator in his post-playing days. However he was better known as a coach in the minors and the NHL. He was the coach in Los Angeles when Wayne Gretzky first arrived. He later went on to coach the New Jersey Devils and, his career coming full circle, the Boston Bruins.

Joe Miller

2010-04-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Who is Joe Miller? That's how many of these biographies start out. At first glance he was an old time goalie with some pretty bad teams. But a closer look suggests Miller was actually a pretty good netminder!

Born in Morrisburg Ontario, Miller play senior hockey in Ottawa for many years before turning pro in 1924. He then played 3 seasons in the minors before signing as a free agent with the New York Americans in 1927.

Miller, like many of his teammates in New York, emerged from his first season in the NHL as a bit of a joke. Despite playing really solid in net, he had little support from his team. He appeared in 28 games and won only 8, while losing 16 and tying 4. But he also earned an impressive 5 shutouts. Though it was hardly Miller's fault, he sported the 9th worst GAA in a 10 team league and the unforgiving NY media and fans dubbed him "Red Light Miller." Soon enough he was kidded around the entire league!

But Joe would get the last laugh. Later in the same season, long after the NY Americans were eliminated from Stanley Cup competition, Miller was called upon once again, this time by a New York team that didn't even employ him!

You see, during the 1928 Stanley Cup finals between the Montreal Maroons and New York Rangers, regular Ranger keeper Lorne Chabot was seriously injured in the second game of the series. In one of the greatest moments in the long storied history of the great game of hockey, Ranger's 44 year old coach Lester Patrick replaced Chabot for game 3, as no replacement could be found in time for the game. Patrick went on to backstop the Rangers to a victory. Patrick however was unwilling to step back into nets for the rest of the series, so he asked Joe Miller if he would fill in as an emergency replacement. Joe agreed and Maroons approved.

Miller was very solid in the remainder of the series. He lost his first game as a Ranger 2-0 despite playing very well. The Rangers however went on to win the next two games and Miller surrendered only 1 goal in backstopping the Rangers - his cross-town rivals all year long - to their first Stanley Cup.

"Joe Miller, the substitute goalie, was the hero" stated Toronto Star columnist Lou Marsh at the conclusion of the series. Marsh may have been the only one to notice though. Most of the attention went to Patrick for his legendary stunt. Miller was quickly forgotten about.

Despite his heroics, the Americans traded Miller to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Roy Worters. The Pirates were an awful team that not even "Shrimp" Worters could save. But Miller tried his best in two seasons.

His first season, 1928-29, Miller had a spectacular season that is all but forgotten about now. His personal win-loss record was awful as was to be expected - just 9 wins in 44 contests. Yet somehow, he managed to post 11 shutouts! Obviously there was a couple of scoreless ties in there somewhere. That is amazing! It is also probably the only time a starting goalie has posted more shutouts than he did wins!

Miller couldn't hold the fort in 1929-30. He got just 5 wins in 43 appearances. He had no shutouts this time around. In fact he gave up more than double the amount of goals against. The Red Light jokes were back.

The Pirates became the Philadelphia Quakers in 1930-31. Miller only got into 12 games that season, winning 2 of them while surrendering 47 goals against. That was the last year that Miller appeared in the National Hockey League.

Miller played one more year of minor league hockey before hanging up his goalie pads in 1932.

Simo Saarinen

2010-03-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

Simo Saarinen may have only played 8 NHL games in his career, but he is an interesting story nonetheless.

Saarinen was a late round 1982 draft pick of the New York Rangers. Their scouting staff thought they had a steel as the undersized defenseman from Helsinki flew under the radar of most NHL scouts. The Rangers brought Saarinen overseas at the age of 20 after the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics.

Saarinen, who's name apparently translates to "islander" in English, a bad omen for a Rangers prospect, started off strong, earning a roster spot on Broadway right out of training camp. He would play in eight games before disaster struck.

While retrieving a loose puck in a game against Los Angeles, Saarinen lost his footing and crashed into the net. These were the days before the break-away nets with the Marsh Pegs that made the game safe for players. The nets were very much unmovable, a scary thought for any wayward player.

Saarinen's worst nightmare became reality at this moment. He terribly damaged his left knee, missing the rest of the season after surgery. He attempted a comeback the following year, but he was able to play in just 13 minor league games. His knee swelled up so badly he was forced off the ice for a second consecutive season.

Saarinen's hockey career appeared to be over before it began. He received a $175,000 disability pay-out and returned home to Finland. But he was still determined to play. After undergoing another surgery in Finland and persevering through many more weeks of rehab, he found he was able to return to the ice, rejoining his old team HIFK Helsinki.

By doing so Saarinen made the tough decision to return the $175,000 disability payment, but he would not regret it. He would play with his home club until 1996, earning legendary status and the retirement of his number 7. He was also able to take part in two more Olympics (1988 and 1992) and in two world championships.

Saarinen began a new career as a referee, although he disappeared from the public limelight after being arrested for driving under the influence.

Special thanks to Risto Pakarinen

Jim Bartlett

2010-02-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

I want you to think back to when Rocket Richard was infamously suspended for the balance of the 1954-55 season and playoffs. Upon his incarceration, who did the Montreal Canadiens call up from the minor leagues to take his spot on the roster?

The answer is Jim "Rocky" Bartlett, a 5'9" 165lb mighty mite from Verdun Quebec.

Bartlett's stay in Montreal was short, just two regular season contests and 2 more in the playoffs. He did not score a point, and was drafted by the New York Rangers in something called the Intra-League draft later that summer.

Although he spent most of the next three seasons in the minor leagues, the move to the Rangers organization was a good one for Bartlett. By 1958-59 he enjoyed his first of three full seasons in the NHL, two with the Rangers and a third with Boston. He scored 34 goals and 57 points in 191 career NHL games. A willing fighter, he was a fan favorite in New York along side partner in crime Eddie Shack. The pugilistic duo was dubbed "Nuts and Bolts."

By 1961 he was back in the minor leagues, playing with the Providence Reds and then the Baltimore Clippers until 1973. He was somewhat of an AHL legend, famously playing on the "B" line in Providence with Stan Baluik and Pierre Brillant. He almost lost an eye though in 1963, thanks to an errant stick. Bartlett obviously returned.

Bartlett would one day go on to work as a chauffeur for none other than New York Yankee's owner George Steinbrenner.

"I don't have any problems with him," Bartlett says. "He's a little gruff with people who work for him. He can be a little harsh with them, but with me, it's no problem. I just say it the way it is and that's it. "Sometimes he'll get in the car and he'll tell me, `I'm not in the mood for talking.' I'll say, `Well, I'm going to tell you my story anyway.' When I'm done, he wants to talk and he's asking me questions about what I told him."

Bartlett thanks his hockey career for landing him the driving job, a position he held for 20 years.

"When he found out I used to be a hockey player, that's when one thing led to another."

Bartlett became Steinbrenner's unofficial hockey tutor when his company bought into the New Jersey Devils. Bartlett had to explain the game to him.

"He'd take me up to the box with him. I had to show him everything. Why did the whistle blow when the puck went across the red line. That's a two-line pass. What about when the whistle blew when it was touched up. That's icing. When he has other people in his box, he'll say to them, `Anything you want to know about the game, just ask Jimmy."

Oscar Asmundson

2010-02-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

"And the Oscar for best lighting technician goes to . . . Oscar Asmundson!"

Okay, so former NHL player Oscar "Ossie" Asmundson never won an Oscar award, but there was a time where perhaps he dreamed of just such an honour. After retiring from hockey he moved to Hollywood and became a lighting technician on the sets of movies and television shows.

The 5'11" 170 forward from Red Deer, Alberta firs made a name for himself playing on Canada's west coast in Victoria and Vancouver before heading to New York to play for a little known team called the Bronx Tigers of the little known league called the Can-Am League. Asmundson's strong play in the Bronx helped him move to classier digs in Manhattan as he joined the NHL's New York Rangers in 1932-33, just in time to help the Rangers win the Stanley Cup!

A low scoring, defensive minded winger, Asmundson played one more year with the Rangers before he became a hockey vagabond. He would mostly play in the minor leagues, most notably with the Cleveland Barons, but he also saw brief NHL action with the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Eagles, New York Americans and Montreal Canadiens.

Oscar Aubuchon

2010-02-04T19:36:00.000-08:00

A 5'10" 175lb left winger from St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Ossie Aubuchon was a noted player with various Montreal teams in the Montreal junior leagues of the 1930s. But he would first rise to fame in Great Britain of all places.

After Britain knocked off Canada at the 1936 Olympics and won the gold medal, hockey was at an all time high in England. Many Canadian players were invited to come play in the British League. Ossie Aubuchon took up the offer and played two seasons with the Brighton, Tigers.

Aubuchon returned to North America upon the starting of World War II. He would play professionally in the minor leagues, bouncing around from Pittsburgh to Cleveland to New Haen and most notably with Providence, all of the AHL.

Oscar was bought from the Providence Reds in 1943 to fill in for the depleted Boston Bruins roster, thanks to leaves of absences on the war front. He played three games in 1942-42, scoring 3 goals even! But Oscar will be best remembered as the player who wore #15 in Milt Schmidt absence.

Sold to the Rangers early in the 43-44 season he tallied a respectable 15 goals for the Rangers in his only full NHL season.

As NHLers began returning from the War, Aubuchon found himself back in the minor leagues, bouncing around again from Buffalo to Hersey to St. Louis. He had enough by 1946, and opted to return home to Quebec where he continued playing in the local senior leagues.

Lloyd Ailsby

2010-02-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

When I started researching this particular player, I ashamedly admit I had never heard of him or his birthplace. I quickly became intrigued.

Lloyed Ailsby was born on May 11, 1917 in little known Lac Pelletier in Saskatchewan. He would go to a long professional career, from 1936 to 1958 as a vagabond defenseman. He played in New York (EHL) and Philly (AHL), Ottawa (QSHL) and Seattle (WHL), amongst other places, but he was best known for his all star campaigns with the St. Paul Saints of the USHL in the late 1940s.

Despite his long, long tenure on the professional scene, Ailsby only managed to appear in three NHL contests, all with the New York Rangers in 1951. It was Christmas week, and he even had to play on Christmas day. He probably did not mind too much though. After 15 years in the minors, he was happy just to be in the show.

Ailsby would unfailingly return to the minors the next week, playing and also coach parts of the next eight campaigns.

Clint Albright

2010-02-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

They nicknamed the studious Clint Albright "The Professor" for good reason. He loved text books as much as he loved hockey.

In his youth Albright was quite the hockey legend in his hometown of Winnipeg. He went all the way to major junior with the Winnipeg Monarchs, twice playing for the Memorial Cup and winning the famous trophy in 1946.

While he likely could have made the jump to the professionals that next season, Albright opted to stay home and enroll in classes at the University of Manitoba. He would also play for the school team and for the Winnipeg Flyers of the local senior circuit. The Flyers even challenged for the Allan Cup that year.

Albright, who wore glasses when he played, was convinced to turn professional in 1948. He played in 59 games with the New York Rangers, scoring a respectable 14 goals and 19 assists. He quietly seemed to have earned a spot in the tough days of the Original Six.

That's when Albright walked away from it all. Instead of returning to Manhattan for more big league hockey, he returned to the University of Winnipeg to finish his engineering degree. He briefly played some semi-pro hockey in St. Paul in the 1951, but otherwise he dedicated himself to his career as a mechanical engineer for Cominco. His 34 year career with the company saw him live in Trail and Kimberly, BC and Calgary Alberta.

Mike Allison

2010-02-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

Many players split their hockey careers between the NHL and the minor leagues. Mike Allison's NHL career was split between the NHL and the doctor's offices. A left winger who also was spotted at both right wing and center ice, Mike suffered through serious knee injuries early in his career which altered his effectiveness at the NHL level.

Mike was drafted by the New York Rangers 35th overall in 1980, coming off of an outstanding 71 assist, 95 point season with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. The 6', 200 pounder from Fort Frances, Ontario made the immediate jump to the NHL in 1980-81 and made a promising contribution in year one, scoring 26 goals and 38 assists for 64 points. He even scored his first goal on his first shot in his first game. In his second game he scored a hat trick!

However those totals would all prove to be career highs as serious knee injuries limited his playing time and playing style for the rest of his career.

Mike remained in the Rangers organization for the next 5 years despite repeated ankle and serious knee injuries. In those 5 years he played in 48, 39, 45, 31 and 28 games respectively. Mike's promising offensive contributions were all but wiped out due to the injuries. Even when he was healthy enough to play his knees hobbled his skating style so badly that he had to reinvent his game. Instead of being a scorer like he was in his earlier days, Mike became a mucker and grinder. His anticipation skills allowed him to be very good defensively and excelled as a penalty killer.

A very proud man, Allison was also highly regarded as an excellent team man, bringing infectious enthusiasm and heart both on and off the ice. And Mike only knew how to play the game one way - full out - and he continued to play that way despite the injuries. His reckless abandon only contributed to further injuries.

Mike was traded to Toronto in exchange for Walt Poddubny on August 18, 1986. That season Mike played a full season for the first time since his promising rookie season 6 years earlier. However by this time Mike had reinvented himself as a grinder and penalty killer. Allison played in 71 games and scored 7 goals and 23 points. He also had a nice playoff for a surprising Leaf team in the spring of '86. He scored 3 goals and 8 points in 13 post season contests, all of which was gravy compared to his invaluable hustle and specialty team's play.

Mike started the 1987-88 season with the Leafs but after a slow start (0 goals in 15 games) was traded to Los Angeles in exchange for Sean McKenna on December 14, 1987. It proved to be a good Christmas gift for Allison. He was in LA for Wayne Gretzky's first year with the Kings. It was an exciting time to be a member of the Kings, with all the hoopla surrounding Gretzky. Mike actually found himself playing with Wayne at times! He even scored 16 goals and 28 points in just 37 games with the Kings. If that were calculated over a full 80 game schedule, Mike would have posted career highs in those categories.

Mike played almost 3 years in Los Angeles but never played in more than 55 games. His bad knees combined with a nagging groin injury forced him to sit out more than he wished to. He also rarely got to play with Wayne in subsequent seasons, as the Kings acquired more skilled depth, which allowed Mike to concentrate on a supporting role which he was more suited for anyways.

Allison retired scoring 102 goals and 166 assists in 499 NHL games. He added 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 82 playoff contests, but never was able to sip from Lord Stanley's Cup. He was an excellent team man with lots of desire and heart. His excellent and attitude and work ethic made him a valuable asset.

Walt Atanas

2010-02-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

It was none other than the legendary Eddie Shore who discovered Walt "Ants" Atanas. He was a star scorer with his hometown Hamilton Whizzers in the early 1940s. After scoring a league leading 37 goals in 23 games in the OHA, Shore signed the right winger to his AHL team in Buffalo.

Atanas stepped in nicely into Buffalo, using his great speed and shot to help the Bisons win the AHL championship. With 6 goals and 13 points in 9 playoff games Atanas was now on the radar of all NHL teams, too.

It was the New York Rangers that were able to secure Atanas' release from Buffalo, via the inter-league draft. With the Rangers' roster depleted by World War II commitments, Atanas stepped in nicely in 1944-45 and score 13 goals and 21 points in 49 games.

Oddly, Walt Atanas would never play hockey in the NHL after that season again.

The Rangers were looking to make wholesale changes after missing the playoffs. With most of the players returning from their various war commitments Atanas was demoted to the Minor Leagues. After first reporting to the Cleveland Barons of the AHL he soon joined the Minneapolis Millers of the USHL. After struggling the first two years in Minny he found his scoring touch and enjoyed several seasons in Minny.

Atanas continued to play until 1957, making stops in Buffalo, Victoria, Vancouver, Springfield, Syracuse and North Bay. But he didn't hang up his skates when he left the ice as a player. He remained active as an on-ice official. He even served as a NHL linesman in 1961-62.

John Ross Roach

2009-12-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

Standing just 5'5" high and tipping the scales at about 130lbs, John Ross Roach was one of the smallest goalies ever to guard a NHL cage. He also had two great nicknames. He was dubbed "Little Napoleon," a reference to both his size and temperament. He was also more enamouredly called "The Port Perry Woodpecker," referring to his hometown in Ontario. He may also have been known as "The House Cleaner."

Roach was an outstanding senior player with the Toronto Granites of the OHA Senior league, never more so than in 1920-21 when he lead the league in wins and goals against average. When the NHL's Toronto St. Patricks started searching for a replacement for their regular goaler "Jumping Jakie" Forbes, boss Charlie Querrie did not have to look far and signed Roach.

Roach was a nervous rookie, but his team did well enough to make the playoffs in 1921-22 and the St. Patricks pulled off a shocking upset of the powerful defending Stanley Cup champion Ottawa Senators in the two game, total goal NHL playoff. They then went on to beat Vancouver to win the Stanley Cup in Roach's very first year. It would be the only Stanley Cup champion Roach would ever play on, though he would achieve all-star status later on.

After 1921-22 he was the regular goaler for the St.Pats but with mixed success. In 1924-25 he led the NHL in wins as the team captain, only to revert back to his indifferent play and when the St. Pats became the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Feeling it was time for another change, the newly named Leafs traded Roach to the New York Rangers for goaltender Lorne Chabot for the 1928-29 season.

In his very first year with the Rangers he set still-standing team records with a 1.48 average and 13 shutouts. He also led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup final, only to come up short against the Boston Bruins and their sensational rookie goaltender Tiny Thompson.

The fidgety Roach was the goat of the 1932 Stanley Cup final when Roach allowed 6 goals in each of the three games dubbed by the fans as "the tennis series" when Roach's old team won their very first Stanley Cup as the Maple Leafs.

As a result, Lester Patrick sold Roach to Detroit. In Detroit he came closest to winning the Vezina Trophy in 1932-33 with his fine 1.93 goals against average and 10 shutouts, losing the trophy to Tiny Thompson by a small margin, but beating out Thompson for the first all-star team.

His 13th year in the NHL proved unlucky. He broke his jaw in a car accident and manager Jack Adams shelved him in favor of Wilf Cude about halfway through the 1933-34 season. He and Normie Smith shared the goaltending duties in 1934-35. He closed his career by playing one game with Toronto when George Hainsworth was out of action.

John Ross Roach died July 9th, 1973.

Adam Graves

2009-11-17T20:43:00.000-08:00

In an era when the NHL was being dominated by hockey's version of globalization, Adam Graves was the traditional Canadian hockey player.

"He's very physical, he will do anything to get his team geared up," said one NHL coach "He plays the game every inch of that ice. He wants to command, and he commands a lot of respect out there. He's a total player. He's a spark. He's an inspiration. There's an m.v.p. guy, let me tell you. He's just an outstanding player and an outstanding person."

"Adam was always the type of kid you wanted to make it," Colin Campbell, his former coach said. "He is conscientious, nice, hard-working, respectful. And usually those guys don't make it. Adam is the milk-drinker who goes through hell for you."

He plays a rugged, aggressive game of hockey, with a mean streak that enhances his talent and inspires his teammates. He parks his often bruised body in front of the net, especially playing on the power play. Graves is a willing fighter, often known as Mark Messier's bodyguard, both in Edmonton and later New York. Kevin Lowe, team-mate of both in both cities, calls Graves "the sheriff" for his willingness to defend fellow Rangers.

Graves was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings out of the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. He finished the 1988 season with the Wings after leading the Spitfires to the OHL championship. He split the 1988-89 season with the Wings and their AHL affiliate. He was quickly traded in the beginning of the 1989-90 season in a huge trade. Graves, Petr Klima, Joe Murphy and Jeff Sharples were all moved to Edmonton in exchange for Michigan-born Jimmy Carson and long time Oiler tough guy Kevin McClelland.

Graves filled a similar role to McClelland while in Edmonton, but possessed much promise which never really was tapped in the City of Champions. He played 2 seasons with the Oil, scoring 15 goals in 139 games. He teamed with Martin Gelinas and Joe Murphy to form the Oilers version of the "Kid Line." The trio combined speed and youthful enthusiasm in a supporting role in the Oilers 1990 Stanley Cup Championship.

The New York Rangers plucked Graves away from Edmonton in 1991 via the free agency market. It was in New York that Graves blossomed into a star. He blossomed in 1991-92 to score 26 goals, more than doubling his career total. The next year he improved to 36 goals and by 1993-94 he joined Vic Hadfield as only the second New York Ranger in history to score 50 goals. In fact Graves' 52 goals better Hadfield's then-team record by 2. Graves of course would add 10 goals and 17 points in 23 playoff games to help bring Lord Stanley's Cup back to Broadway for the first time since 1940.

Graves would have trouble reaching the same plateau again. Playing in pain but rarely missing a game, he became a consistent 20 goal scorer in the years following.

Though not known for using a stick in flagrant ways, one of Graves' most infamous moments involved a stick foul against the Pittsburgh Penguins' star Mario Lemieux in the 1992 playoffs.While killing a Pittsburgh power play, Graves swung his stick and broke a bone in Lemieux's right hand, putting him out of the series. Graves received a suspension that kept him off the ice for the rest of that series, and the Rangers, regular-season champions then, as they are now, were eliminated by the Penguins.

Gravy is also one of the NHL's nicest guys. The 1994 King Clancy Memorial winner, Graves participated in many activities involving under privileged kids in New York.

Bill Moe

2009-11-04T20:02:00.001-08:00

When Billy Moe played in the NHL from 1944 through 1949, he was part of a definite minority in the league. He was an American.

In fact only two other players in the NHL during that time span were Americans - Frankie Brimsek and John Mariucci. All three are are US Hockey Hall of Famers while Brimsek is a Hockey Hall of Famer and Mariucci is inducted as a builder.

But back to Moe. Moe was a defensive defenseman who was largely overlooked because of his quiet contributions to team. He used to uniquely crouch down tightly to check an opposing forward and had a reputation as a rock solid stay at home blueliner and shot blocker.

Such aggressive bodychecking of course would make Moe a target - but not from who you would think. Opposition players never really tried to punish Moe for his low blow. Instead, Moe became the target of Madison Square Garden camera lenses! So ununusal were Moe's hits that cameramen would single in on him alone for the entire game in hopes to obtain the perfect capture of of Moe's talent.

The best known photo was taken by Andy Lopez of Acme Newspictures. In it, Moe checks Toronto Maple Leaf forward Gaye Stewart during the 1947-48 season. Stewart is perfectly upside down in the photo.

Born in Danvers, Massachusetts but grew up in Minneapolis where he first picked up the game of hockey. He joined the EHL in unusual hockey cities like Atlantic City and Baltimore before the AHL's Hershey Bears signed him. The AHL of course was desperate for players as they, like the NHL, were losing players to WWII commitments. Had it not been for the war, Moe might never have been give the chance to play at the AHL level.

With the Bears he dominated the AHL 1942 through 1944. He was named as the AHL's MVP in 1944 and quickly attracted the attention of the NHL at the point. It was Lester Patrick's New York Rangers that landed the AHL MVP.

Moe played a strong but quiet role for 5 years in New York. With the war over, NHL teams were once again stocked with the best talent. While Moe never got the chance to play the same role as he had in the minors, he certainly never looked out of place in the big leagues either.

After Moe's 5 years with the Rangers, Moe returned to Hershey to finish his career by the 1953 season.

Danny Belisle

2009-11-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

A 13 year veteran of hockey's notorious minor leagues, Danny Belisle received his best Christmas gift ever in 1960. Danny learned he would get his first NHL appearance on Christmas Day, 1960.

The New York Rangers called him up in to play the Montreal Canadiens as the Rangers roster - namely Dan Prentice and Camille Henry - was depleted with injuries. Like only a Hollywood script would dream of, Belisle responded with his first goal in his first game. He went on to add another in the 3 games that followed.

After his 4th game, it appeared that Camille Henry was nearly ready to return to action, however it wouldn't be until game time before the final decision was made. As a result, Ranger coach Alf Pike couldn't make up his mind what to do with Belisle. He told him to get dressed, then to get undressed. Finally he told him to get half dressed of all things.

Belisle, somewhat confused at the moment yet as always a jolly soul, decided to take that literally. He dressed in his hockey pads, shin and knee pads and hockey socks. Then he put on his street shoes, his shirt and his tie! His teammates were hysterical with laughter, but Pike was not.

Pike ordered Belisle to remove his hockey gear. Pike was determined to not use Belisle, even if that meant dressing a unhealthy Henry.

"And that was my last game in the NHL" laughs Belisle years later. "I did exactly what the coach ordered - I got half dressed. But putting on that shirt and tie pissed him off so much that I was back in the minors the following day!"

James Patrick

2009-10-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

This is James Patrick. "Jeep" played in nearly 1300 NHL games, 4 world championships, 2 world juniors, 1 Canada Cup and 1 Olympics, but somehow is one of the most underrated defensemen in the history of the game.

Patrick, who suffered from the digestive disease colitis, was an exceptional talent. He was an excellent skater in every way - speed, agility and power. His skating was amplified by his superior puck handling ability, often rushing the puck. He had a great point shot, always kept low for tips and rebounds.

That is how Patrick picked up most of his points, because he was not an elite passer. He was never great at the perfect breakout pass from his own zone. His instinct was always to skate with the puck. Once he reached the neutral zone he would either dump the puck into the offensive zone, or just drive all the way to the net, whether the defenseman should be or not. He was unlikely to utilize the players ahead of him when rushing the puck.

Though his skating and hockey smarts always placed him in strong defensive positioning, he was often criticized for his defensive play. Despite his good size, he was never a physical presence by any stretch of the imagination. It was not in his demeanor, or in his upper body strength. Still, his skating and balance should have allowed him to be a smart take-out defenseman, but too often players would drive through his checks.

James comes a great Canadian athletic family, but not the family you may expect. He is no relation to Frank and Lester Patrick, hockey's most influential family. He is the son of Steve Patrick, a former CFL star quarterback turned Manitoba politician. James' brother Steve Jr. also played in the NHL, including a short time with James on the Rangers.

James was the Rangers 9th overall draft pick in 1981, selected ahead of the likes of Al MacInnis and Chris Chelios. Patrick was named as the Canadian Tier II junior player of the year that year, leading Prince Albert to the Centennial Cup. But the Rangers would have to be patient with Patrick, who was heading to the University of North Dakota to hone his game and study business administration.

Patrick immediately established himself as one of the best players in the NCAA, winning WCHA Rookie of the Year in 1982. That year North Dakota won the NCAA championships, with Patrick being named as the team's MVP. Patrick would be named as a finalist for the Hobey Baker award as the best college player in the country in 1983.

Patrick would leave North Dakota early. In his magical 1982 season he also discovered international hockey, helping Canada earn it's first World Junior gold medal. He enjoyed that experience so much that he jumped at the opportunity to return. He spent the 1983-84 season playing with Dave King's Canadian national team, earning a spot on the Canadian Olympic team. The Canadians finished just out of the medals in 4th place, but Patrick would credit the experience with readying him for the NHL.

Patrick would finish the season with the Rangers, immediately taking a spot on the power play. He would be a regular on the point for the next decade.

Although he had better offensive years, his best year was in 1987-88. He began the year playing with Canada at the Canada Cup, and finished the year being named as the Rangers best defenseman and team MVP.

In late 1993 the Rangers traded Patrick in a complex three way trade to land Steve Larmer. Patrick would play most of the season with Hartford before being traded again to Calgary where the Flames were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The Rangers, meanwhile, won the Stanley Cup, a reward that would prove to be elusive for Patrick.

Patrick would play in Calgary for six years, battling serious knee, neck and concussion injuries. The Flames would not renew his contract in 1998, and some speculated Patrick's career was done.

The Buffalo Sabres were looking for a veteran presence on their blueline, and signed Patrick up. Neither party probably expected Patrick to play in Buffalo for six seasons, although injuries limited his playing time. Patrick's career highlight came in 1999 when he helped the Sabres reach the Stanley Cup finals. The Sabres would fall to the Dallas Stars in six games.

In 21 NHL seasons Patrick played in 1280 games, scored 149 goals and 639 points. Patrick finally retired in 2004 and took a spot behind the Sabres bench, coaching the defensemen.

For a player with such a great mind for the game, there was never such an obvious transition.

Ron Greschner

2009-10-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe a kid from tiny Goodsoil, Saskatchewan, population of 200-plus, would become the toast of Manhattan.

That's exactly what Ron Greschner did. The son of a hotelier, the only hotel in the tiny farming community, Greschner not only went to become a popular hero of Manhattan, but married supermodel Carol Alt, owned trendy restaurants, guest-starred on TV shows Ryan's Hope and The Nanny and was a judge at a Miss Universe contest.

Manhattan's Finest

Gresch was a big but mobile defenseman who was playing against senior players aged 20 and over when he was just 12 years old. By 1974 he was an established WHL star out of New Westminster, and was drafted 32nd overall in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft. He quickly established himself as a NHL star blessed with size and skating. He would run the Rangers power play in the era between Brad Park and Brian Leetch.

He lacked the polish of those two legends, which holds him back in history's eyes. But those who played with him disagree.

"I mean no disrespect to guys like Brian Leetch and Mike Richter," said Tom Laidlaw, a former defensive partner, "but playing his whole career there, doing the things he did and the points he put up, Greschner belong in the same category as them. He was a quiet leader but definitely proud to be a Ranger."

Lack of team success never helped either. Outside of an unexpected Stanley Cup finals appearance in 1979, the Rangers never really challenged for much in Greschner's days. Had the Rangers been a true top team during Greschner's time, his status may very well have landed him as a Hockey Hall of Famer.

New York loved Ron Greschner, and Ron Greschner loved New York equally in return. "There is no other city. The rest of the world is a suburb," he would say.

The Natural

"He was probably one of the most naturally talented guys we had and also the most likeable guy you would ever want to meet," said long time teammate Pat Hickey.

A hockey natural is a great way to describe him. He was a super stickhandler with a good shot. He was big and aggressive, though not necessarily strong or punishing. He was a smart skater, gifted in his balance and lateral mobility, although he lacked speed. His ice savvy was his biggest asset, able to read plays developing from either end of the ice and to be in the right spot at the right time.

In 982 career games, all with the Rangers, Ron Greschner scored 179 goals, 431 assists and 610 points. In 84 post season contests he added 17 goals and 49 points.

Mike Richter

2009-10-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

When Russ Cohen, John Halligan and Adam Raider listed and ranked the all time great players for the New York Rangers in the 2009 book 100 Rangers Greats, I was really surprised to see Mike Richter ranked so high.

The authors determined he was the third greatest player in Rangers history, ahead of Mark Messier, Bill Cook and Eddie Giacomin. To hockey history fans, of which the three authors clearly are, that takes guts.

After all, Richter had 8 losing seasons out of 14 in his career, never was a league leader in GAA or save percentage or shutouts. His career win totals are small compared to his contemporaries.

For me his high ranking was a welcome surprise, as I never felt Richter ever quite got the recognition he deserved. Statistics never tell the whole story He was spectacular, never more so than in 1994 in the Stanley Cup run or in 1996 at the World Cup. In both instances he almost single-handedly stole victory from the teams I cheer for, the Vancouver Canucks and Team Canada. Though I was devastated by the losses, I was secretly a huge fan of the man in the Statue of Liberty mask.

Yet I often felt like I was the only one. Despite his impressive resume, he never seemed as highly regarded as peers Patrick Roy or Dominik Hasek or Eddie Belfour, and it continues as suggested by his exclusion from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Even fans in New York were at times lukewarm towards him, complaining about lack of consistency during the Rangers lean years later in his career.

To me he was the most exciting goalie I've ever seen. He was a hybrid between the classic stand up goalie but with acrobatic reflexes. When he was on top of his game he was unbeatable. When he was not, I guess he could look bad at times, thus the consistency complaints. Serious injuries, including a fractured skull and serious concussion that forced him into retirement, wore him down too.

But he was a Stanley Cup and World Cup champion. The three time Olympian (2002 silver medalist) has a legendary international record that ranks him as the best American goalie ever.

Mike was also a very interesting person off the ice. While he played at the University of Wisconsin, and took classes at Columbia while still playing, he actually returned to school after retiring, majoring in Ethics, Politics & Economics from Yale. He has show a great interest in politics and has hinted at a run for congress some time in the future.

As a Canucks fan it comes as no surprise that both Richter and Brian Leetch ranked ahead of Mark Messier in the 100 Rangers Greats book, because from our vantage point both were clearly more important to the championship than Mess. You don't have to convince me that Mike Richter should be considered one of the best of his generation.

Cecil Dillon

2009-10-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

Playing in the shadows of the likes of Frank Boucher and Cook brothers, Bill and Bun, it is easy to understand how a player like Cecil Dillon was one of the most underrated players of his day.

But in 10 NHL seasons, 9 with the Rangers, Dillon was the consummate professional, never missing a game with the Rangers.
In 409 consecutive games he scored 160 goals and 281 points.

A right winger with a left handed shot, Dillon made a name for himself early playing on a line with Butch Keeling and Murray Murdoch. The trio were instrumental in the Rangers' 1933 Stanley Cup championship, especially Dillon. In 8 games he scored 8 goals and 10 points in 8 games, leading all NHLers in scoring. Had there been a playoff MVP award back then, Cecil Dillon was sure to have won it that spring.

From 1936 through 1938 he led the Rangers in scoring three consecutive years, joining an exclusive club of Boucher, Bill Cook, Andy Bathgate, Phil Esposito and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to do so.

Dillon, who was known to love Frank Boucher's stories, most of them completely fabricated, about his days in the RCMP, was sold to the Detroit Red Wings for the 1939-40 season, Dillon's last season in the NHL. That year the Rangers won another Stanley Cup, as Dillon prepared to say good bye.

Dillon was one of the very few American born players in the early days of the NHL. Dillon was born in Toledo, Ohio on April 26th, 1908 although he actually grew up in Thornbury, Ontario.

Dillon returned to Thornbury after hockey and worked for the local phone company. He died at the age of 61 in 1969.

Art Coulter

2009-10-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

Arthur Edmund Coulter was born in Winnipeg on May 31, 1909.

Art entered the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks where he was teamed up with Taffy Abel. Art helped the Blackhawks through the 1933-1934 season ending with the honor of winning the Stanley Cup. In 1935 Art was chosen to be a member of the esteemed Second All Star Team.

Although Art was an obvious asset to Chicago on January 15, 1936 it was decided that he was to be traded to the New York Rangers for Earl Seibert. Skeptical about the trade at first, it became evident that this trade would become beneficial to both teams.

Art succeeded Bill Cook as the Rangers' captain in 1935-1936 season. Art's great defensive play helped to earn him a spot on the Second All Start Team three more years - 1938, 1939 and 1940. He led the New York Rangers to win the Stanley Cup in 1940.

After two more years of play, Art traded in his hockey skates and stick for the honor of defending his country by enlisting into the Canadian Armed Forces during the second World War. This courageous and honorable act ended his pro hockey career.

Art was recognized in the hockey world as a "team player." He believed in teamwork and knew early on that teamwork was the crucial ingredient to winning games and having fun...and ultimately earning the team the right to hold the Stanley Cup.

Art's physical strength and endurance was the key to his defense. He was a punishing hitter, and was not afraid to drop the gloves.

In the 465 games he played he managed to chalk up 112 points and 543 penalty minutes. Deservedly, Art Coulter was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.

Unfortunately, Coulter soured on the game of hockey in retirement. An outspoken and stubborn type, Coulter vowed never to step into Madison Square Gardens again after he was not invited by the Rangers for a special evening. He lived in Georgia and Alabama, where it was easy to not follow hockey. In fact, when he was contacted by a writer in the 1990s and asked his opinion about Wayne Gretzky, Coulter had never heard of him. He said he did not watch modern hockey because "that's not real hockey. They're not as tough as we were."

Ott Heller

2009-10-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

This is Ott Heller. For 15 seasons he patrolled the blueline for the New York Rangers, winning the Stanley Cup in 1933 and in 1940, the only player to play on both championship teams.

Though the red-haired Heller was said to be a very personable character off the ice, on the ice he was a quiet, steady defenseman who excelled at keeping opposition forwards outside of the slot and towards the perimeter. He was said to have incredible upper body strength, allowing him to quickly pin his opponent and by doing so avoiding many penalties. He was tough too, often training with local boxers at a local gym.

Heller was a great skater, and not afraid to join or even lead the rush from time to time. His most famous goal came in a playoff game against Montreal very early in his career. He dashed from one end of the rink to the other to score the game's only goal.

In those 15 years Heller played with many of the Rangers' greats on defense. He started out partnering with Ching Johnson. In the 1933 championship season he teamed with Babe Siebert. Over the next several years he partnered with the likes of Doug Brennan, Art Coulter, Joe Cooper, Babe Pratt and Muzz Patrick.

Heller, who captained the Rangers in his final three seasons, played in 646 career games, once a team record. He scored 55 goals and 231 points in an era when defensemen really were there for defense only. He added 6 goals and 14 points in 61 Stanley Cup playoff games.

Though Heller was demoted to the minor leagues after 15 NHL seasons, he continued on, playing an amazing 11 more seasons in the minor pros. He just loved the game.

"Ott was a hockey player, simple as that," recalled Emile Francis, in the book 100 Rangers Greats. "He was as tough as nails, and not an ounce of fat on him. What an athlete. It seemed like the guy played forever, and at such a high level. He was amazing."

Edgar Laprade

2009-10-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Born in Mine Centre, Ontario on October 10, 1919, Edgar Laprade moved to Port Arthur, Ontario as a four year old with his family. It was in Port Arthur where Laprade established himself as an amateur hockey legend before moving on to the National Hockey League.

After being a junior standout in Port Arthur, Edgar joined the local senior team named the Bearcats from 1938 until 1943. Edgar helped the Bearcats win the Allan Cup championship in 1939, something that Edgar considered one of the greatest moments of his life. The Allan Cup was given to the best senior team in all of Canad and at one time was nearly as highly regarded as the Stanley Cup. Laprade was also a two time MVP and two time leading scorer in the Thunder Bay Senior Hockey League.

Laprade joined the Canadian Army Ordinance Corps on October 20, 1943. Despite serving for his country he still managed to find time for his passion. He played in one game with the Ottawa Commandos of the Quebec Senior Hockey League before being transferred to Winnipeg and played for Army in the Winnipeg Services Hockey League until it was disbanded in January 1944. The following year, Laprade was stationed in Kingston and played with the Barriefield Bears in the Kingston Hockey League senior league.

After the war ended, Laprade was finally lured into the world of professional hockey. The Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers, who had put him on their negotiation list as a junior in 1938 were the two most interested parties. The Rangers won that bidding war when they gave him a $5000 bonus for his mortgage on a house in Port Arthur. He joined the Rangers in 1945-46 and played with them until he retired 1954-55.

A two time team MVP, Edgar captured the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie in 1946 and the Lady Byng Trophy as the NHL's Most Gentlemanly Player in 1950. He was selected to play in four consecutive NHL All Star Games from 1947 through 1950.

While Edgar was able to display his true hockey talents in his first few years in the NHL, a serious ankle injury in 1952 really humbled the effortless skater. He actually retired after the 1951-52 season only to return the following year. He played until 1955 but numerous injuries limited Laprade's effectiveness.

Known as "Beaver" because of his hustle and work ethic on the ice, Laprade was known as a aggressive but very clean player. Twice he went the entire season without recording a single penalty minute, and only had 42 PIM in in his 500 NHL game career. He was also known as a play making center with great speed and athleticism. He was a tremendous defensive player as well, making him one of the greatest two way centers in NHL history. A strong back checker and prolific penalty killer, Laprade perfected the "poke check" as an effective strategy.

He was a small man in stature, standing just 5'10" and weighing in at 160lbs. But he was the biggest member of his "Three Little Shaefers" line, with wingers Tony Leswick (5'7" 160lbs) and Knobby Warwick (5'5" 155lbs).

Laprade scored 108 goals and 172 assists for 280 points in 500 regular season games, all with the Rangers. While he never hoisted the Stanley Cup, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the veteran's category in 1993.

Edgar retired from hockey to return to Ontario. He opened a sporting goods store and was involved in local politics.

Dutch Hiller

2009-10-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is Wilbert Hiller, universally known as "Dutch" Hiller thanks to the strong Dutch population in his hometown of Kitchener, Ontario, even though he was not Dutch at all.

He was also universally hailed as the fastest man on skates.

"Nobody could keep up with Dutch. Nobody," proclaimed Frank Boucher, Hiller's coach with the Rangers.

Hiller was best known as a New York Ranger, playing on a line with Alf Pike and Snuffy Smith when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1940. In his nine year career he also played with Boston, Detroit and twice with Montreal, winning another Stanley Cup in 1946

Hiller scored 91 goals and 113 assists in 383 regular-season games in the NHL. He was primarily a defensive player, though his production increased to around the 20 goal mark during the World War II.

After finishing his hockey career in 1947 with a season with AHL Pittsburgh, Hiller eventually relocated to Los Angeles where he was the Kings' long time goal judge.

Dutch Hiller died at the age of 90 on November 12th, 2005, just days after the Hockey Hall of Fame arranged for a special surprise for him - a visit from the Stanley Cup.

Sergei Zubov

2009-07-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

Sergei Zubov may be the greatest "second tier" player in NHL history.

By "second tier" I mean he was an amazing hockey player that somehow always escaped the limelight and accolades that were always present for peers like Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Nicklas Lidstrom and one time teammate Brian Leetch.

Sergei Zubov played in 16 NHL seasons, putting up impressive totals: 1068 games played, 152 goals, 619 assists and 771 points. In doing so Zubov became the third European defenseman (Nicklas Lidstrom and Borje Salming) and the first Russian defenseman to record 700 career NHL points

He is also the only defenseman in NHL history to lead a first overall place team in scoring. Bobby Orr didn't even do that.
Zubov did that in 1994, the same year he played an instrumental role in helping the Rangers capture the Stanley Cup, giving Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brian Leetch a serious challenge for best defenseman on the team.

Right from Zubov's debut in the NHL he was recognized as one of hockey's smoothest and most intelligent defensemen. He was a brilliant skater, both in terms of speed and lateral ability, and puck handler. The right handed defenseman was a great power play quarterback, seeing the ice incredibly well. He had a good and accurate shot, when he was not reluctant to use it. Where he would get himself into trouble was when he would overhandle the puck at the point. Instead of just putting the puck on net or dumping the puck into the corner when he was pressured, Zubov often tried to make a play out of nothing, making for dangerous turnovers.

Zubov matured into a fantastic two way player, outgrowing rookie over-indulgance for offense at the expense of defense. Because of his skating he was tough to beat one-on-one. He had good size and did not shy away in physical games, although he would never himself play a mean game. He relied more on his reach and agility.

Forget about mean. Some people actually criticized Zubov for not showing enough emotion in games. This notion was rediculous, an absolute sign of misunderstanding hockey greatness. Zubov was raised in the old Soviet Union, and was trained to be a coldly analytical defenseman like Viacheslav Fetisov or Alexander Ragulin. Hockey was like chess to these guys. They dissected the game into mathematics and probabilities. They played the game with a computer's mindset rather than by raw instinct.

For all his obvious brilliance and his consistently impressive campaigns, only once was he a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman. That was in 2005-06, an amazing thirteen years into his impressive career. The same year he made his only post-season All Star team.

At the height of his game was a masterful blue line catalyst, not unlike Mark Howe or boyhood idol Viacheslav Fetisov.

Part of the reason why he was never recognized as a truly elite defenseman was the fact that it took him a long time to shake his reputation as a high-risk defenseman. True, he made his fair share of bad breakout passes and pinches, but that has to be expected with offensive defensemen. He matured into less of a gambler upon his arrival in Dallas. Not everyone knew that though, because aside from the 1999 Stanley Cup championship run, the Stars were rarely in the national focus.

Another reason may have been his unceremonious departure from Pittsburgh. A year after the Rangers' Stanley Cup victory Zubov was moved with Petr Nedved to Pittsburgh in a blockbuster deal for Ulf Sameulsson and Luc Robitaille. Despite putting up 66 points in 64 regular season games and 15 points in a long 18 game playoff run, Zubov would be moved once again at the end of the season, this time Dallas where he is best remembered. A popular theory out there has Mario Lemieux chasing Zubov out of town because he was not happy with Zubov on the power play. Both players needed to be in control of the puck. Problem was there was only one puck on the ice!

Over the next decade in Dallas Zubov matured into a consistent defenseman at both ends of the ice. Zubov's point totals may have settled just a touch in Dallas, but he was every bit a key Dallas component towards success as Brett Hull or Mike Modano or Derian Hatcher were.

In the summer of 2009 Sergei Zubov returned home to Russia, signing with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Many are suggesting Zubov, who spent much of his last two seasons in Dallas on the injured list, has played his last game in the NHL, a very real possibility given that he is now 40 years old.

Perhaps North American audiences will have one last chance to watch Zubov play. There have been some rumblings that, if healthy, Zubov might return to the national team and represent Russia at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Zubov has withheld his services from the national team since 1992, when he helped Russia win gold at the Olympics in Albertville. There have been rumblings that things are patching up between Zubov and the new powers that be with the Russian Olympic team.

It would be a great way to end a great career.

Irv Spencer

2009-06-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

Making the NHL is never easy, but it was especially difficult in the days of Original Six.

Take defenceman Irv Spencer, pictured to the right, for example. He played professional hockey from 1957 all the way through 1974. In all those years he only got into 230 NHL games.

"You could be around for three or four years and they could still say you didn't have enough experience," he lamented, adding "Of course there was only six teams in the league. You had to wait until somebody died to get a position."

Fortunately no one actually died. Spencer graduated to the NHL in 1960 skating the next two years with the New York Rangers. He would then move to Boston for a year before joining the Detroit Red Wings organization. Over the next ten years he bounced around the Wings' minor league affiliates, only occasionally getting a chance in Detroit.

But he wouldn't get much of a chance, as he was used sparingly for long stretches.

"If you sat there long enough, it just seemed that you would lose something. I know that's what happened to me somewhat."

In 1972 Spencer was all too happy to jump to the newly formed WHA. He would play the final two seasons in the WHA, playing for the Philadelphia/Vancouver Blazers.

He retired in 1974 under somewhat strange circumstances.

"Strangely enough the person who brought me into the major leagues, Phil Watson, asked me to quit. I was ready to quit. I was finished," said Spencer, pointing out how badly worn his knees were after all the years of hockey.

Spencer settled in San Diego where he had played some minor league hockey. He got into the mortgage and loans department of a local bank.

Clint Smith

2009-05-22T15:30:00.001-07:00

Clint "Snuffy" Smith died today. At age 95 he was believed to have been the oldest living ex-NHLer.

For 10 seasons, Clint Smith symbolized the successful combination of high skill level and sportsmanship. Smith totaled a mere 24 penalty minutes to go along with 397 career points in 483 NHL games. He was a two-time winner and three-time runner-up in the Lady Byng trophy voting. In fact, he was the first player to win this award with two different teams. He had four penalty free seasons.

A native of Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Smith enjoyed a successful amateur career with the Saskatoon Wesley Juniors. He turned professional with the New York Rangers organization at the age of 18 and played his first full NHL season with the Rangers in 1937- 38. Following his rookie season Smith's strengths were recognized as he was runner-up for the Lady Byng trophy. The following season he won this prestigious award -- a feat which he duplicated in 1943-44.
Smith was also part of the New York Rangers' famous Stanley Cup team of 1939-40.

Prior to the 1943-44 campaign, after six seasons with the Rangers, Smith was sold to the Chicago Black Hawks. Smith's first season with the Hawks was very productive as he won his second Lady Byng trophy and set a NHL record for a 50 game season of 49 assists. During this same year he and his Chicago linemates Bill Mosienko and Doug Bentley, set a NHL record for a line with 219 total points.

Smith played four seasons with Chicago before retiring from the NHL after the 1946-47 season to become the playing coach of the Tulsa Oilers of the United States Hockey League. His first season with that club brought Smith a league MVP award and a berth in the USHL semi-finals. The following season Smith coached the USHL champion St. Paul Saints, the New York Rangers' farm club in that league.

After his retirement from hockey, Smith moved back to Vancouver, where his involvement with the sport has continued. Prior to the NHL setting up a fund for "needy" players and families, Smith helped found the British Columbia Benevolent Hockey Association and served as its president for six years. In addition, he maintained a strong interest in the Junior and Juvenile hockey on the North Shore, and was active in charitable endeavors of the Vancouver Canucks Alumni.

Clint "Snuffy" Smith was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.

Walt Poddubny

2009-04-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

I was at work all day and unable to pass this story along earlier. That's too bad, because this, as James Mirtle has already stated, really is must read material.

The Globe and Mail's Allan Maki tells us much of the story of Walt Poddubny. He never woke up on Saturday, dying at the young age of 49.

He was far from the most skilled player. He had adequate size and a good burst of speed to find open space. He had a nose for the net, too, as he exploded for 40, 38 and 38 goal seasons to close out the 1980s. Devastating knee injuries slowed him down and eventually forced him out of the game just before hockey's big money era.

It turns out Poddubny's story after the NHL is quite sad. He tried to stay in the game, partly for financial reasons but mostly because he could never deal with the game being taken away from him. But after mixed results coaching in the low minor leagues, he returned home to Thunder Bay and has been living in his sister's basement. He lost his marriage and found friendship in the form of the bottle.

His story is probably not completely uncommon, especially amongst the many players who are forgotten about not long after they have left the ice if not earlier.

Poddubny seemed to be reaching out for help, talking with the Globe and Mail columnist. The two agreed to meet in the off season and work out some sort of project. Poddubny wanted to tell his story, presumably so others would not have to go through it.

Unfortunately, Poddubny found a way to have his story heard loud and clear.

Harry Howell

2009-02-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting trivia question. Who was the last player in to win the Norris Trophy as best defenseman before the arrival and subsequent dominance of the trophy by Bobby Orr?

The answer: Harry Howell.

It could be said that Howell was the last defensive defenseman to win the trophy, as the award took on a different definition after Bobby Orr.

Harry Howell played 24 NHL seasons and three more in the WHA. When he retired no defenseman had played more big league games than the ironman Howell.

Ironman would be an appropriate nickname for the man who never played for a Stanley Cup winner. In his first 16 NHL seasons he missed an amazingly minuscule total of just 17 games.

Although not an overly aggressive rearguard he used his hockey sense to become an extremely effective defensive player. He was quite the unsung hero, buried with the largely unsuccessful Rangers. It was rare that he was rightfully recognized as one of hockey's top players. In fact it was not until 1966-67, his 15th year in the league, that he was honored with the Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman and with all star status.

Although not regarded as an offensive threat by today's standards, Howell was a slick passer who always made the safe play. He was a reliable work horse who could always be counted on to bring his steady game every night of the week. A master of the poke check, his understated brilliance was certainly appreciated by his coaches and teammates, especially his goaltenders. He always was able to steer oncoming attackers to the boards and away from scoring spots.

Howell was all too happy to play in the shadows of more popular defense partners. His most notable co-workers were the belligerent Lou Fontinanto, a Manhattan fan favorite, and Doug Harvey, to that time the greatest defenseman of all.

“They don’t come much better than Harry," Harvey said soon after joining the Rangers.

"The thing that makes him the great hockey player he is," Emile Francis once said "is that the quality of his game seldom varies. Some defensemen, they look like all-stars one night, or maybe for three games in a row, and then they tail off. But Harry, he's like the Rock of Gibraltar."

Francis added "Hockey is a game of mistakes, and Harry doesn't make many of them."

Howell would have stops in Oakland, Los Angeles and the WHA after 17 seasons with the Rangers where he was captain for two years and one year was a playing assistant coach.

In 1979 he was elected to Hockey's Hall of Fame.

Lorne Chabot

2009-02-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

Think of all the great goalies in the Hall of Fame. Ken Dryden. Turk Broda. Gump Worsley. Terry Sawchuk .... the list is seemingly endless. Or is it? If it was truly complete, then Lorne Chabot would be there too.

A veteran of 10 NHL season, Chabot retired with 73 career shutouts with a career goals against average of 2.04! His playoff GAA is an even smaller 1.50. Those stats compare favorably with Hall of Fame goaltenders, and in many cases are better. It's ridiculous that one of the game's true greats isn't in the Hall of Fame.

A veteran of World War I and a former police officer, Chabot was an outstanding senior hockey player, leading the Port Arthur Bearcats to back-to-back Allan Cup championships in 1925 and 1926.

In 1926 he caught the eye of a young Conn Smythe who signed him for the New York Rangers. The Rangers marketing department thought they could use Chabot to draw interest from the city's large Jewish population. He was, believe it or not, to be listed and promoted as "Chabotsky," although Chabot refused to play along.

Chabot battled for the starters job with Hal Winkler his first season but eventually won out. By his second season he guided the Rangers all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. However in the finals Chabot got clipped in the eye and was unable to continue the game. Coach Lester Patrick asked to use a borrowed goaltender (Dave Kerr of the Rangers, who was in the stands) as a replacement, but wasn't allowed to. Patrick, at the age of 44 decided to put the pads on himself. This move energized his Rangers. They played inspired hockey and the game went in to overtime. In a game that Hollywood couldn't dream of, Frank Boucher went on to score in overtime for the Rangers. The Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup. At that moment Patrick was immortalized forever. This is one of the NHL's most legendary moment.

Chabot's eye injury was slow to heal that summer and the Rangers feared it would end his career so they shuffled him off to Toronto. It proved to be a steal for the Leafs as Chabot enjoyed his 5 seasons in Toronto, including helping the Buds win the 1932 Stanley Cup.

Chabot was traded to Montreal for another all time great - George Hainsworth. It marked the beginning of a lot of trades for Chabot. After one season with Les Habitants he, along with Howie Morenz and Marty Burke were traded to Chicago for Lionel Conacher, Roger Jenkins and Leroy Goldsworthy.

In Chicago Chabot's job was to replace Charlie Gardiner who weeks earlier backstopped the Hawks to the 1934 Stanley Cup but died of a brain tumor shortly afterwards. After posting a league leading 1.83 GAA and winning the Vezina Trophy, Chabot lost his job to Mike Karakas. Chabot refused to be sent to the minors and spent most of his final two seasons toiling with the Montreal Maroons and New York Americans.

Interestingly Chabot played in the two longest games in NHL history. He was the winning goalie in a 1-0 shutout victory in 1933 when the Leafs beat the Bruins that went into a 6th overtime. Three years later Chabot was on the losing end of a 1-0 game while playing with the Montreal Maroons against Mud Bruneteau and the Detroit Red Wings. That game also went into a 6th overtime - lasting 12 minutes longer than the previous record.

Chabot, who has also been credited for introducing the modern day goalie blocker, died in 1946 from a kidney disease. He also had severe arthritis, leaving him bedridden late in his life.

Frankie Eddolls

2009-01-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

Frankie Eddolls had an inadvertent way of breaking up good friends.

In 1943 the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Eddolls to Montreal for another prospect named Ted "Teeder" Kennedy. Frank Selke made the trade for Toronto, as Conn Smythe was overseas fighting in World War II. But when Smythe learned of the trade, he strongly disapproved and accused Selke of trying to undermine him and take over the Leafs. When Smythe returned to Canada, Selke was soon ousted. Kennedy, as you know, became one of the greatest Leafs ever.

Eddolls toiled in Montreal for three years. The former Memorial Cup champion had his NHL career delayed as he served two years in the armed forces, though he was based in Montreal and continued to play amateur hockey.

In 1947-48 Frankie Eddolls was part of the big trade which saw Hockey Hall of Famer Buddy O'Connor leave the Montreal Canadiens to join the Rangers. The two former Habs were traded in exchange for Hal Laycoe, Joe Bell and George Robertson in one of few trades the Montreal Canadiens would like to have back.

The deal is famous not only for the on ice ramifications, but for the off ice ones as well. The deal was made by Frank Boucher, the GM, but was not met with approval by Lester Patrick, the long time Ranger boss who was being phased out. Lester opposed the deal so much that it ruined a longtime friendship between the two.

The deal turned out to be a beauty for Boucher though, as O'Connor went on to win the Hart and Lady Byng trophies and was a key cog in the Rangers offense in late 1940 and early 1950.

Eddolls too made a significant contribution as he became a very solid defenseman in the same time period, noted for his effective play against former teammate Rocket Richard. Eddolls helped solidify the Blue Shirts blue line to the point where they made the playoffs in 1947-48 for the first time in 6 years. He went on to star for the New Yorkers, never brighter than in the 1950 playoffs when the Rangers took the Red Wings to a full 7 games in the Cup finals only to fall oh so short.

Eddolls went on to become a popular minor league coach, and even coached the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1954-55 season.

Eddolls life was cut short when he died of a heart attack in the middle of a round of golf on August 13, 1961.

Vic Hadfield

2008-10-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

In the 1960's the New York Rangers were a small speedy team who were often beaten up by their counterparts. They scouted for big aggressive players to remedy their shortcomings. The best of their finds was Vic Hadfield.

Hadfield came to the Rangers as a Blackhawk's prospect who earned that status due to his abrasive physical pursuits of the enemy. He wasn't known for his finesse, but soon would blossom into a fine scorer, too.

Hadfield idolized Ted Lindsay as a boy, and his style was very similar. In his first year he battled names like Bobby Baun, Tim Horton and Terrible Teddy Green. In his first complete NHL season he led the league in penalty minutes with 151 and even chipped in 25 points.

His playing time increased as he learned to pick his spots when displaying his toughness. He then became much more effective all-around player and a goal scoring threat. In fact he would score 20 or more 8 consecutive years and in 1971-72 he became the first Ranger to score 50 times in a single season. He also added 56 assists to earn a spot on the All Star Team.

That 1971-72 season was even more memorable for Hadfield as he was a big reason why the Rangers returned to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 22 years. Ultimately the Rangers, who were missing Jean Ratelle for much of the post-season, were outmatched by Boston and did not win that elusive Stanley Cup, but Hadfield had a great spring. He, along with Rod Gilbert, led the way with 7 goals. Only Bobby Rousseau had more points by a Ranger that spring, 17 compared to Hadfield's 16.

Hadfield is best remembered as the power-forward on the GAG Line ( goal-a-game line) with Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert. Ratelle and Gilbert played an elegant, beautiful game of puck possession and skill while Hadfield's contradictory style complimented them so well. He may not have been the best of the three, but he made that line work.

Hadfield's great leadership abilities were recognized when he became captain of the Rangers in 1971. He often set the tone for the team, both on the ice and off of it. On the ice he led by example. Off the ice he was quite the clown, always keeping the guys light and entertained. Sometimes that would spill on to the ice too, like the night he threw Philadelphia Flyers' goalie Bernie Parent's mask into the Madison Square Gardens crowd.

Hadfield was also part of the 1972 edition of Team Canada, an experience that almost ruined his reputation.

An unhappy Hadfield was only used sparingly in 2 of the first 4 games in Canada, and upon arrival in Moscow he was one of several players who were told he would probably not be dressing for the remaining games. An upset and outspoken Hadfield, who had just come off his 50 goal season, was angry and packed his bags and went home.

Team Canada management, specifically Harry Sinden and Alan Eagleson, were not amused and painted Hadfield to be the bad guy to the media, which made it easy for Canadian fans to be unforgiving and less than sympathetic. He was painted as a selfish brat and a poor teammate. Though his Team Canada teammates were not critical of him, his reputation was forever tarnished.

Hadfield would continue on with the Rangers until 1974 when he joined the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins. Hadfield would put in two more seasons, appearing in his 1000th game and returning to the 30 goal mark each season.

All in all, Vic Hadfield played in 1002 games, scoring 323 goals, 389 assists and 712 points. In retirement he would open up the Vic Hadfield Golf and Learning Center.

Ivan "Ching" Johnson

2008-10-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

Ivan "Ching" Johnson was one of the toughest defensemen of his era. His hard hitting style made him very popular among New York fans. He spent all of his 12 NHL seasons in the Big Apple, playing 11 seasons for the Rangers and one season for the Americans.

Ivan's NHL career started relatively late and he didn't make his NHL debut until he was almost 28 years old after having signed as a free agent with the NY Rangers on September 2, 1926. Recruited by Conn Smythe, he had been playing for his hometown team, the Winnipeg Monarchs in the Manitoba Senior Hockey League and for the Eveleth Rangers and Minneapolis Millers in the United States Amateur Hockey League.

Ivan debuted in the NHL in 1926 and immediately established himself as a physical force on the blueline. He wasn't an offensive threat by any means (38 goals in 436 games) but was one of the leagues most reliable players defensively.

"Ivan the Terrible" led the Rangers team in penalty minutes 8 out of the 11 seasons and picked up 808 PIMs in 436 games. He led the league in PIMs twice in the playoffs (1928 and 1932). Ivan was a four time NHL All-Star. He was a 1st team All-Star in 1932 & 33 and a 2nd team All-Star in 1931 & 34. He got the ultimate recognition when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1958.

Ivan won the Stanley Cup twice with the NY Rangers, in 1928 and 1933. When he retired from the NHL he continued to play in the AHA and the Minneapolis Millers where he had played prior to his NHL career. He was an All-Star in Minneapolis the first season back (1938-39).

Ivan took up officiating after his hockey career was over. During one of the games where he was serving as a linesman in the old Eastern Hockey League, he forgot that he was wearing a striped shirt and nailed an onrushing forward with one of his patented heavy bodychecks from his playing days. When asked what caused him to do it, he calmly replied. "Instinct, I guess. The old habit was too deep within me. I forgot where I was and what I was doing."

Ivan will be remembered as one of the finest defensemen ever. At 5'11" and 210 lbs it's easy to imagine what a devastating effect his pulverizing hits had, and with the combination of his desire to win his popularity was immense. He was a fierce competitor who ignored the pain and didn't let injuries stand in his way.

In later days he settled down in Washington D.C. where he was in the contracting business. Ivan passed away from cancer in 1979. He was 80 years old.

Red Garrett

2008-07-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

In the early 1940s was a rough time for the National Hockey League. Having survived the Great Depression and the economic disaster that it had threatened, now the league faced a new problem, one that promised to every bit as devastating not only at the box office but on the ice as well - World War II.

By the opening of the 1942-43 season, every NHL team felt the war's cold touch as players traded in their hockey sticks for guns. Well over 100 established players and rookies throughout the farm systems had departed for the war. A couple of them, such as New York Rangers fine rookie defenseman Dudley "Red" Garrett, never returned.

The Toronto native was hard-nosed defenseman who broke into the NHL at the early age of 18 in 1942-43. With the NHL being stripped of players due to the war, teams were scrambling to fill rosters and the Rangers brought Red in even though it was rare for kids that young to play in the league. Garrett, who in the previous season led the OHA in penalty minutes with 61 PIM in 18 games for the Toronto Marlies, played extremely well for the Rangers, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist in 23 games. While those are modest scoring totals, Red played with maturity beyond his years and was very composed on the ice. In his limited ice time he was one of the league's top rookies, although he was overshadowed by Montreal's rookie rearguard Glen Harmon and 1943 Calder trophy winner Gaye Stewart.

Red actually never finished the season. During the season he too was called off to war. The Rangers and their fans had no choice but to say good-bye to the promising backliner. Fans were also enthusiastic that once the war was over Red would return and would develop into a top rearguard.

Red was never stationed overseas. Instead he was stationed in Atlantic Canada where the Canadian military often ran armed escort services for boats carrying supplies to Allied troops overseas. Naturally, these supply boats were targets of German U-boats (submarines), so it was anything but a piece of cake. In fact it was a very dangerous job, and one that cost Garrett his life. On November 25, 1944, Garrett was killed in action off of the coast of Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland.

In his memory the American Hockey League created the Red Garrett Memorial award in 1947 to be presented annually to the top rookie of the AHL. Famous winners include Terry Sawchuk in 1949, Roger Crozier in 1964, Ron Hextall in 1986, Brett Hull in 1987 and Daniel Briere in 1998.

Jaromir Jagr

2008-07-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

When Jaromir Jagr left the New York Rangers to play for Avangard Omsk in Siberia, of all places, the National Hockey League said good-bye to one of the greatest offensive players the league has ever seen.

The five-time NHL scoring champ leaves the league with 646 goals, 953 assists and 1599 points in 1273 games. He leaves the league as the 9th highest scorer in NHL history, and 1st among European players all offensive categories. He holds season records for assists and points by right wingers.

He leaves the league prematurely, giving up a chance to become the NHL's second-leading scorer of all-time, trailing Mark Messier by just 288 points. Such a lofty all time scoring slot is of course is incredible all by itself, especially for a kid from Kladno, Czech Republic who grew up believing he would have to defect from his family and home if he ever wanted to play in the NHL. But even more amazing when you consider he a) did not play in the 1980s like practically every other top scorer, b) he played through two labor stoppages costing him 1 and 1/2 seasons of play and c) that he has now left the NHL early.

Jagr leaves the NHL with a bit of a smeared legacy. He left both Pittsburgh and Washington on bad terms, said to be only interested in money and stardom. His latter years were plagued with the enigma label, or worse, because his brilliance only shone through indifference on occasion.

Yet his list of accomplishments is as long as it as amazing:

* 2 Stanley Cups
* 1 Olympic Gold
* 1 World Championship
* 5 NHL Scoring Championships
* 1 Hart Trophy as NHL MVP (6 total nominations)
* 3 Pearson Awards as Player's choice for MVP
* 8 NHL All Star teams

But why would Jagr choose the Siberian city of Omsk over New York, or any other NHL team? After all, other than far more favorable tax advantages in Russia, the money was essentially the same.

Jagr has a history in Omsk, having played half a season there during the lock-out lost season back in 2005. But also Omsk offered Jagr the stability of a 2 year contract that apparently no NHL team of his liking was willing to give to him.

Why was Jagr searching for only a 2 year contract?

Jagr revealed that his father has requested that he return home to play in his native Kladno, Czech Republic, for the 2010-11 season. That is when Jagr's father plans to open a new arena in Kladno.

"I don't think I would sign longer than two years - just because of my dad," said Jagr, a proud Czech who has always vowed to finish his career in Kladno. "He asked me to come home. He did. In two years. He wants me to come back. He's helping to build a new arena there and he wants me to be there."

Even the chance to surpass Messier as the NHL's greatest scorer not named Wayne Gretzky would not keep J.J. here. Scoring 288 points in 4 seasons is far more realistic than 2, Jagr's apparent deadline for returning to Kladno.

Tanks In The Streets

The Jaromir Jagr story begins in 1968, four years before he was born.

Of course Jagr famously wore jersey number 68 to commemorate a significant conflict in his country's history -- the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Asked about why he chose a number that symbolized his country's struggle for freedom from communist repression, the flamboyant winger often turned sombre.

"It's for my grandfather (a farmer and land owner, also named Jaromir)," revealed Jagr. "He died during that. I wasn't born yet but I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and she told me a lot about it. They took all the property from the rich people and my grandfather was rich. Actually, they took both my grandfathers (to jail). They let them go after the revolution but because my grandfather was so sick in jail and they didn't give him any food, he died after they let him go."

Jaromir Jagr was born fours after the invasion, on February 15, 1972, in Kladno, Czechoslovakia, an ancient town of 80,000 in central Bohemia. His father - also named Jaromir - was a mine administrator who later made a fortune in the hotel business before becoming a hockey administrator in Kladno. But back when Jaromir and his sister Jitka were being raised, times were tough. After all, the family fortune was taken away and the everyday staples of life were scarce.

Many Czechs, already poor, accepted this way of life, but the Jagrs harbored deep resentment against the Communist government. So much so that his heroes were Martina Navratilova, who had defected from Czechoslovakia to the U.S., and United States president Ronald Reagan, the ultimate symbol of those who stood up against the Soviet communists. Jagr even carried a picture of the president around in his wallet.

Jaromir started skating around the age of three. He learned to shoot in his backyard, playing street hockey with his dad. He would practice his now famous laser of a shot by taking 500 shots a day. By age six he was on three different teams, often playing against older kids.

He was definitely emerging as a hockey prodigy, but even more amazing than his skills was his drive and dedication to be the best. As a kid his stickhandling and shooting skills were far beyond average, but he was just an okay skater. When he heard that top players on the national improved their speed by doing squats, he started doing 1,000 a day.

By the age of 12, Jaromir was the best young player in the country. He began his junior hockey career playing against boys five and six years older. In his first year for Kladno’s junior squad, Jaromir scored 24 goals in 34 games. In 1985, he attended the World Championships in Prague as a fan. Reportedly mesmerized by a young Canadian star named Mario Lemieux, he thus began his dream of making it to the NHL one day.

Jaromir played three more seasons of junior hockey, and by the time he 16 he had simply outgrown all that junior hockey had to offer, both figuratively and literally. The tall winger towered over everyone else and outweighed the other boys by 20 or 30 pounds. With his powerful legs he who was far too fast to and with his muscular frame he was impossible to knock off the puck. He skated around defensemen like they practice pylons, just like he would do years later in the NHL.

Jaromir scored 57 times in 35 games in 1987-88, earning a promotion to the Czech national team as its youngest player. Within a season, he was the country’s top star, outperforming the likes of future NHLers Bobby Holik and Robert Reichal.

Ready For The NHL

Then, in 1990, Jaromir and his countrymen squared off against Canada in the World Championships, facing the likes of Paul Coffey and Steve Yzerman—and beat them. Jagr has said it was this moment that he fully realized that he knew he was good enough to play in the NHL.

Jagr could not have picked a better time in history to become eligible for the NHL draft. The fall of communism in Czechoslovakia was in progress in 1990. Though at draft time there was still much political uncertainty, Jagr and other young Czechs would be allowed to leave the country to purse careers in the NHL. Previous generations of hockey stars in Czechoslovakia could only hope for special permission after years of service to the national team, or risk defecting to the west, leaving their families and home behind forever.

Because the political uncertainty scared many NHL teams, Jagr, the hands-down best player in a strong draft, dropped to the 5th overall selection where the Pittsburgh Penguins were more than willing to be patient with the talented superstar. And their gamble proved to be not much of a gamble at all, as political concerns were all for not. Jagr and other young hockey players were given the blessing to pursue careers in the NHL.

The Penguins did their due diligence in developing Jagr. They immediately brought him to Pittsburgh and found a Czech family in the city for him to live with. They set him up with intense English tutoring a good month before his first training camp. And they would acquire long time Czech player Jiri Hrdina to give Jagr a friend and father figure. Together they were known as the Czech Mates.

Jagr, sporting his famous long mullet, joined a Penguins team that was on the cusp of winning the Stanley Cup, if only Mario Lemieux's back injuries held up. The Penguins had assembled a ridiculous supporting cast for Lemieux—Paul Coffey, Bryan Trottier, Joe Mullen, Tom Barrasso, Ron Francis, and Larry Murphy. All but Barrasso would end up in the Hall of Fame. Now the team also boasted talented youngsters named Kevin Stevens and Mark Recchi.

Mario Jr.

And of Jaromir Jagr. Jagr immediately impressed with his size and skill. The only player in the league who had the same combination of size and skill was Jagr's sometimes linemate Lemieux, leading to the popular nickname "Mario, Jr." The nickname was perfect as the two were comparables. Even more amazing was that the letters in Jaromir's name could be rearranged to spell "Mario, Jr."

In style, though, Jagr is something much different from Lemieux, as Bowman points out.

"When Mario gets the puck, he's always thinking, Where can I put it?" says Bowman. "He'll pass the puck off and get himself in a better situation to score than he was in. When Jaromir gets the puck, he's always thinking, Where can I go with it? He reminds me of Maurice Richard in that way. They both played the off-wing, and both had so many moves I don't think either knew which moves they were going to do until they did them. Totally unpredictable."

Interestingly, Scotty Bowman, Jagr's coach for two years, compared him to another NHL superstar from another era.

"He's a different type of player than the league has seen in a long time," says Scotty Bowman , who coached the Penguins last season and is now the team's director of player development and recruitment. "He has a lot of Frank Mahovlich in him. His skating style and strength make him almost impossible to stop one-on-one. A lot of big guys play with their sticks tight to their bodies and don't use that reach to their advantage like Jaromir does."

Lemieux turned out to be the perfect on-ice mentor for Jagr, if only through imitation. Both had hulking bodies but were the most graceful and artistic of players. The competitive Jagr would study Lemieux closely, determined to be just as good. Jagr would become nearly Lemieux's equal once he mastered the ability to use his big frame to his advantage. About the only thing attribute that held him back was Jagr's European-instinct to pass the puck first as opposed to Lemieux's willingness to be greedy and be the hero, scoring the big goal.

Pittsburgh was always Lemieux's team, especially during the back-to-back Stanley Cup championships of 1991 and 1992. Jagr was young back in those days, but over the years Jagr would take over the ill and broken down Lemieux's status as top gun in hockey. The NHL's newest superstar was officially unleashed.

With Lemieux battling the bad back and now stricken with Hodgkin's Disease, a form of cancer, Jagr assumed the lead role magnificently, winning the Art Ross Trophy with a league-best 70 points in 48 games. His 32 goals ranked second in the NHL, and he was a finalist for the Hart Trophy as MVP.The Penguins finished with 29 victories, third most in the NHL. Jaromir continued his dominance in the playoffs, netting 10 goals in 12 playoff games, but Pittsburgh bowed out in the second round. Jagr, playing with defensively conscious center Ron Francis, was willing to be the hero for the first time in his carrer.

1995-96 was a scary season for NHL goaltenders. Lemieux returned, as close to full health as he got. Now Mario and Jaromir would combine forces to produce of the most magical duos in NHL history. Mario scored 69 goals and had 92 assists to win the Art Ross Trophy for the fifth time. Jaromir scored 62 goals and dished out 87 assists to finish second to his teammate in the scoring race with 149 points.

With his great year, Jaromir established himself as one of the great right wings of all-time. No one at the position had scored more points in a season or tallied more assists. He led the league with 403 shots on goal, further proof his mindset had changed to become the best player.

But perhaps the most remarkable feat of Jagr's amazing season was that other than on the power play, he did not often play on Lemieux's wing. Instead he was the shining jewel on Line 1a with Francis and fellow Czech Petr Nedved.

1996-97 was a frastrating season as Jagr missed 19 games with a groin injury. Even more daunting for Penguins fans, Lemieux announced his retirement, putting more pressure on Jagr to be the man, even though opponents could now throw all defensive strategies against just the one line.

Lemieux Leaves, Jagr's Show Now

Despite the nagging groin injury, Jagr responded positively again, scoring 35 goals and a league high 67 assists, earning him his second Art Ross Trophy and the first of four consecutive NHL scoring titles. He was also a finalist for the Hart trophy as MVP, losing to Buffalo's Dominik Hasek.

But 1998 was known for Jagr and Hasek's combining of forces to lead their native Czech Republic to the gold medal in the first ever winter Olympic games where all of the NHL's top players were allowed to participate. Hasek led the way in net while Jagr scored 1 goal and 4 assists. The gold medal victory was made even sweeter for the Czechs as they defeated the Russians. Before returning to their various NHL teams, the Czech team returned to Prague and celebrated with over 100,000 waiting fans at Wenceslas Square.

Upon return to the NHL, Jagr continued to dominate offensively, despite a poor supporting cast, the dead puck era, and a coach, Kevin Constantine, that preached tight defense and dump and chase hockey, something Jagr never warmed to either publicly or privately. Despite a lucrative 6 year contract, rumblings of Jagr's unhappiness were appearing for the first time.

Yet in 1998-99 he turned in one of the best seasons in recent memory, skating off with the Hart Trophy as league MVP, his only such title though he was finalist 5 other times in his career.. Jaromir won the scoring title by 20 points, with 44 goals and 83 assists. He also captured the Lester B Pearson Award, the MVP as chosen by his fellow players.

Jaromir repeated as NHL scoring champ, despite missing a quarter of the season to nagging leg and back injuries. He tallied 42 goals and 54 assists for 96 points in a league plagued by the neutral zone traps and oversized goalie equipment. Had the Penguins provided him with a couple of top-flight linemates, and had he remained healthy, Jaromir could have legitimately outscored every other NHL player by 30 or 40 points. He was now that good.

Jaromir won his fourth straight scoring title in 2000-01, with 52 goals and a league-best 69 assists for 121 points. He started strong and finished even stronger, earning NHL Player of the Month honors in both November and March. He scored his 400th goal and 1,000th point during the campaign, and also played in his 800th NHL game. Although the Penguins finished third in the division, they reached the conference finals for the first time since 1996, falling to the Devils in their quest for a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ultimately that was as much playoff success Jagr would ever achieve in the post-Lemieux era, forever seperating Lemieux from Jagr amongst the all time greats.

Off To Washington and New York

Jagr would leave Pittsburgh under less than great terms. Surprisingly, he struggled under and clashing with Ivan Hlinka, the first Czech coach in NHL history. Some Pens fans even turned on Jagr, labelling him as disinterested. Jagr wanted out, and was traded to Washington in 2001 for essentially nothing. The Capitals would sign Jagr to a whopping 7 year, $77M deal.

But Jagr never got untracked in Washington, and the numbers of cynics only grew larger. He was brought in as the superstar who was supposed to return a strong Caps to the Stanley Cup finals. Under the great pressure of the contract and the expectations, Jagr stuggled and ultimately floundered. His stay in Washington was nothing short of disastrous.

After 2 and 1/2 seasons, the Capitals moved Jagr to the New York Rangers, but they had to agree to pay half of his salary to start over. Jagr was able to find his game in New York, turning in an impressive 54 goal, 123 point season in 2005-06, earning another Pearson trophy. More importantly, he was able to, unlike so many other faded stars who found their way to Broadway late in their careers, re-establish himself as one of the game's greatest players, shaking off many of the labels of a greedy, disengaged enigma that hounded him over the previous few years.

The kid from Kladno found the love of the game again in New York, and his smile. The NHL found their love for J.J. again, too. In a New York minute.

Though he leaves under strange circumstances, NHL fans over the past 18 years have mostly loved him too.

He truly is one of the NHL's greatest players in league history. In 1998 a panel of experts organized by The Hockey News included Jaromir Jagr at #37 on the definitive list of the greatest players of all time. That was 11 years ago, just as his career was kicking into high gear. Now, with several more significant seasons and many longevity feats to add to his resume, he would surely rank in the top 20.

Lynn Patrick

2008-04-26T16:20:00.001-07:00

Lester Patrick started his last complete season as a player in 1924-25 with the Victoria Cougars of the WCHL. Ten years later, his oldest son Lynn---born in Victoria on February 3rd, 1912 where his father was playing with the Victoria Aristocrats in the old PCHA---made his start with the New York Rangers under the guidance of his father.

Not that Lynn's mother wanted him to play hockey. She even arranged for Lynn to study dentistry at the University of British Columbia, but with his heart in the game of hockey, he flunked out early. His parents then agreed to let him try hockey as a career.

Although his father and uncle Frank had both been defensemen, Lynn developed as a forward and played left wing and center. Three years later his brother Muzz started as a defenseman.

Lynn made his debut when the Rangers opened the 1934-35 season. He played on a line with Bert Connolly and Charlie Mason, but it was a tough year for Patrick. Many didn't like him right from the get go because he was the boss's son. When he was struggling and the boobirds of Madison Square Garden got on him, insulting him with the nickname 'Sonja' after Sonja Henie, the famous figure skater. They also chanted "We Want Somers," referring to Art Somers, former Ranger left wing.

Eventually, these taunts would end after his rookie season. He improved his play in 1936-37 and was very prominent in the 1937 playoffs with 3 goals in 9 playoff games. With the Colville brothers and Alex Shibicky supporting the line of Phil Watson, Lynn Patrick and Cecil Dillon, the fans were delighted and the slick passing style caught the fans imagination.

1940 was a great year for the Rangers, as they won the Stanley Cup. It was an especially moving moment for the Patrick family, as father Lester hoisted the Stanley Cup alongside sons Lynn and Muzz.

The following three seasons were Lynn's best. He tied with Bryan Hextall for the point scoring leader on the Rangers in 1940-41, scoring 20 goals for the first time in his career. The following year he hit his peak, as he scored a league leading 32 goals and made the 1st All-Star team. The Rangers finished first that year, the last time a Ranger team would do that in over a half century.

In 1942-43, the Rangers were devastated by World War II, losing many players to the armed forces. Lynn was still around this season and had a good year, scoring 22 goals and 61 points to finish fourth in NHL scoring and making the second all-star team. At least the Rangers had Lynn to smile about that year, as the Rangers were just terrible and finished last.

But it would be even more horrible for the Rangers in 1943-44. Lynn Patrick was headed for greatness, but World War II put an end to that dream as now Lynn joined the armed forces to end the Nazi threat. The Rangers scored little and gave up a whopping 6.20 goals per game in 1943-44. When Lynn came back to the Rangers, he could not regain his old form. After 1945-46 he was farmed out to New Haven where he became coach.

Patrick became the Rangers coach in 1948-49, leading them a Stanley Cup final appearance in 1950. But his future would lie not in New York but Boston. Bruins mastermind Art Ross was aging and wanted a successor at Boston, and offered Lynn a lucrative contract to coach, and eventually manage, the Bruins. Patrick led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup final in 1953 and as general manager, he kept the Bruins a contender through the 1950's.

After Boston finished last in six consecutive seasons in the 1960's, Lynn resigned as Bruins general manager after 1964-65. However, a new team was joining the NHL in 1967. The St. Louis Blues needed a manager and coach for their very first NHL season and Patrick accepted the two positions with the Blues.

The Blues didn't do very well for their first coach and Patrick resigned after 16 games. He hired a coach, Scotty Bowman, and this man started his legendary coaching career with the Blues. Bowman got the Blues to the Stanley Cup finals two straight years and Patrick, now 58, decided to retire and gave the managing duties to Bowman for 1969-70. Lynn remained as a Blues vice president, but would coach the Blues for 2 games in 1974-75 when Lou Angotti resigned. Garry Young took over as coach, and, ironically, when Young was fired in 1975-76, Lynn coached the Blues for 8 games before the Blues hired Leo Boivin.

On January 26th, 1980, Lynn attended a dull Blues game with the Colorado Rockies at the St. Louis Arena. While driving home, he suffered a heart attack and his car crashed into a fire hydrant. Lynn Patrick died at the age of 67.

He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame posthumously that year.

Muzz Patrick

2008-04-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

Muzz Patrick, a former player, coach and general manager for the New York Rangers born into a family steeped in hockey tradition, died July 23rd, 1998 at the age of 83. Patrick apparently died of a heart attack.

Muzz Patrick was the son of Hall of Famer Lester Patrick, who along with his brother Frank was one of hockey's greatest builders and innovators. Muzz's brother Lynn also played and coached in the NHL, as did his nephews Craig and Glenn.

Patrick's grandfather Joseph helped build the first artificial ice rinks in Canada, at Vancouver and Victoria.

As a player, the 6-2, 205-pound Patrick was a rough and tumble defenseman. He played 166 games over four seasons with New York, winning a Stanley Cup in 1940.

Nicknamed "Muzz" since childhood because of his hair cut, Patrick gained renown for a one-punch victory over Boston defenseman Eddie Shore at Madison Square Garden in 1939.

Patrick's hockey career was interrupted in 1941 when he served in the army. After the war, he returned to the Rangers for one more season, 1945-46, before turning to coaching and managing minor league teams in Seattle and Victoria.

He followed his father and brother as coach of the Rangers on Jan. 6, 1954, succeeding Hall of Famer Frank Boucher. At the end of that season, Phil Watson became the coach and Patrick moved up to become GM from 1955-64. He swung several memorable trades, including acquiring Doug Harvey from Montreal to become player-coach in 1961 and later swapping Gump Worsley to Montreal for Jacques Plante in a trade of all-star goalies.

Patrick's record as Rangers coach was 46-66-27. He worked a variety of executive positions at the Garden before retiring in 1973.

Phil Watson

2008-04-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers both claimed Phil Watson as being on their negotiation list, but NHL president Frank Calder ruled in favor of the Rangers. Watson would break in with the Rangers during the 1935-36 season.

He was a fiery right wing who played center also and often his temper got him into trouble. The most hilariously funny incident involving Fiery Phil - as he came to be known - occurred early in his career when his knowledge of English was limited. It was a common insult in the NHL in those days to call a player a "has been", since there were plenty of players over thirty years of age in those days. Johnny Gottselig of the Chicago Blackhawks needled Phil one night and finally Watson had enough. After being knocked down by Gottselig, Phil yelled at Gottselig "You, you... lousy BEEN has!!"

Watson was a key player in the spring of 1940, when the New York Rangers famously won the Stanley Cup. Watson was brilliant in the semi-finals against Boston, checking the famed "Kraut Line," who finished 1-2-3 in NHL regular season scoring. Watson held them to just a lone goal in their six game series. Watson, meanwhile, scored twice, including the winner in game one. Watson would do a similar defensive job against Toronto, while adding a lead-tying 5 points in the finals.

Watson went on to make the 2nd All-Star Team in 1941-42. Largely due to war time travel restrictions, he joined the Canadiens in 1943-44. On January 11th, 1944, he foolishly attacked linesman Jim Primeau, and was suspended indefinitely from the NHL by new NHL president Red Dutton, who had replaced Frank Calder after his death in 1943. Watson explained to Dutton that he was tied up by the linesman while his glove dropping partner continued to pound him. As a result Watson got mad at Primeau. Apparently referee Bert Hedges was inclined to give Watson the benefit of the doubt as Watson was reinstated after missing one game.

Watson played in the NHL until 1947-48 and then retired. He turned to coaching in 1948-49 and coached the New York Rovers of the EHL. He tended to needle his players and treat them like children, as Gump Worsley said.

"Phil had his whipping boys, and I was one of them." Gump recalled "He knew hockey top to bottom, but he didn't know how to handle players."

Ironically, Watson became coach of the Rangers in 1955-56 and Worsley was his goalkeeper. Watson needled Worsley about his drinking and tendency to overindulge at the dinner table. Worsley swallowed his anger and gave Watson three straight years in the playoffs, and Watson was convinced.

The high-stung Watson suffered a bleeding ulcer in 1959-60 and quit as coach. He coached Providence of the AHL and returned to coach the Boston Bruins to a pair of last place finishes and was fired. He later coached Philadelphia of the WHA in 1972-73.

Born in 1914, he died in his sleep of a heart attack February 1st, 1991.

Alex Shibicky

2008-04-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

Alex Shibicky was signed by the New York Rangers while playing junior in his hometown of Winnipeg. He joined the Rangers in 1935-36, splitting the season between the big club and the Can-Am League's Philadelphia Ramblers. It was in the minor leagues that Shibicky formed a special bond with the Colville brothers, Mac and Neil. The trio would become the Rangers' bread and butter for the rest of the 1930s until World War II.

The trio were dubbed the Bread Line, and were trained by Lester Patrick to mimic the Ranger's previous great line featuring a set of brothers - Bill and Bun Cook with Frank Boucher. Both lines played "beautiful hockey," known for intricate passing plays and creative offense.

Shibicky was the triggerman on the line. He would score 110 goals in 324 games. In the years leading up to World War II, only seven players scored more often than Shibicky. In 1938-39 he registered his best season, notching 24 goals, tying him with the great Toe Blake for second in the league, just two tallies behind Roy Conacher.

Shibicky was known for his deadly accurate shots. His arsenal included an early form of slap shot. While most credit Bobby Hull with popularizing the slap shot, old timers will tell you that Alex Shibicky experimented with it years earlier. Shibicky learned of the shot while watching Bill Cook in practice.

The 1939-40 season was the most magical of seasons for anyone associated with the Rangers in those days. The Rangers finished the 1939-40 season in second place behind the Boston Bruins, with these two teams met in the semi-final. The Rangers escaped that series, thanks in part to Shibicky's 2 goals and 2 assists in six games.

In the Stanley Cup final of 1939-40, New York faced the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shibicky left game three early because he broke his ankle in three places. Amazingly, after missing game 4, Shibicky returned to the series with his foot frozen. In game 5 Shibicky played a big role in the Rangers' opening goal, setting up center Neil Colville. The Rangers would win that game in overtime.

In what proved to be the decisive game six, the Rangers entered the third period down 2-0. But the Rangers would gain momentum, thanks to another Neil Colville goal set up by Shibicky. Alf Pike scored two minutes later to tie the game. Deadlocked, the game went into overtime. At 2:07, Bryan Hextall scored to give the New York Rangers the Stanley Cup!

It was the only Stanley Cup championship won by Alex Shibicky during his outstanding career, played entirely with the New York Rangers.

In those days the players did not get to take the Stanley Cup home with them for a day in the summer time. During the NHL lockout lost season of 2004-05, the Hockey Hall of Fame decided to send the Cup to many of these old timers, finally giving them their day with the Cup. Sadly, Alex Shibicky died of congestive heart failure just two weeks before the Cup was to have arrived. He was 91 years old.

In life after hockey Shibicky coached minor league hockey and taught at hockey schools and invested in a restaurant chain and, with lifelong friends the Colville brothers, in an 1,100-acre grain farm near Winnipeg. He and the Colvilles often took golf and fishing trips. All three would settle and retire in the Vancouver area.

Neil Colville

2008-04-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Neil Colville was a celebrated junior hockey player in his hometown of Edmonton when the New York Rangers discovered him. The Rangers sent original Ranger Murray Murdoch, a western Canadian hockey legend who grew up close to Edmonton, out west to sign Neil. He was given permission to sign brother Mac Colville too, if that is what it took to get Neil to New York.

The rest as they say is history. After some minor league seasoning, the Colvilles and fellow western Canadian Alex Shibicky formed one of the greatest lines in the N.H.L.'s six-team era, anchoring the Rangers 1940 Stanley Cup championship. Known as the Bread Line, the three were groomed by Lester Patrick, who orchestrated the Ranger clubs that won Stanley Cups in the late 20's and early 30's, to follow in the footsteps of the Cook brothers and Frank Boucher.

Neil Colville was the best of the three, hence his inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He cracked the the top ten in scoring five times in a row. He also earned spots on 3 NHL All Star Teams.

Following his military service as a navigator with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Neil returned to New York but the time away had eroded the Bread Line's chemistry. Neil reinvented himself as a defenseman and team captain for four season.

Neil went on to coach the Rangers in 1950 and for part of 1951. He had to leave the post because of health reasons. Severe recurring ulcers forced doctors to remove half of his stomach.

After getting out of hockey Neil relocated to Vancouver. He became heavily invested in laying television cable all the way up to the Yukon, so much so that when money was being stretched too thin he would go up north to climb poles and lay line himself.

He was selected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967. By 1975 he was asked to be a member of HHOF selection committee, a post he cherished for 9 years. He was forced to retire from that job as he lost his leg to cancer.

Neil Colville passed away the day after Christmas, 1986, following a long struggle with bone cancer.

Mac Colville

2008-04-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Mac Colville teamed with his brother Neil, a Hall of Famer, to help propel the Rangers to the 1940 Stanley Cup championship.

In the late 1930's and early 40's, Mac Colville on right wing, Neil Colville at center and Alex Shibicky at left wing formed one of the top lines in the National Hockey League. The unit was known as the Bread Line because it was considered the bread and butter of the Rangers' offense.

Mac scored two goals in the opener of the Rangers' semifinal playoff series in 1940 against the Boston Bruins, and the Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers did not win another championship until 1994.

Neil Colville was more the scorer while Mac, 17 months younger, paid attention to defensive play.

"I did all the backchecking," Mac told The Globe and Mail of Toronto in 1986. "Old Lester Patrick told us never to give the puck away because the other team couldn't score if we had it," he added, referring to the Rangers' general manager.

Matthew Colville, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, made his N.H.L. debut with the Rangers in the 1935-36 season and remained with them through 1947 except for the World War II years, when he played with Neil Colville and Shibicky on the Canadian Army's Ottawa Commandos. He had 71 goals and 104 assists in nine N.H.L. seasons.

He later coached in the minors and worked for the province of Alberta.

Andy Aitkenhead

2008-04-24T22:56:00.001-07:00

Andy Aitkenhead certainly isn't as famous as the man who replaced him - all time great Davey Kerr.

Aitkenhead was the Rangers goalie from 1932 through 1934. The Glasgow, Scotland born Aitkenhead, who had grown up in Saskatchewan, had two incredible seasons to begin his NHL career. In year one, his play was described as brilliant, leading the Rangers to the Stanley Cup with 2 shutouts and a 1.60 GAA in 8 playoff games. The next season he had 7 regular season shutouts (including two 0-0 games in Dec 1933) and posted a tiny 2.27 GAA but the Rangers faltered in the playoffs.

You'd think after two solid seasons like that, Aitkenhead would be set for a lengthy career. However, like many early goalies, Aitkenhead's nerves became shot.

Dave Kerr remembered hearing stories of his predecessor's troubles.

"When I joined the Rangers I replaced Andy Aitkenhead. They tell me he got so he'd lock himself in his room after a game and play the game over and over. By the time the next game rolled around, he'd played 48 games in that room."

Such neurotic behavior must have worried the Rangers brain trust enough to look for a replacement goalie, and they obviously found one in Kerr. The man dubbed as "The Glasgow Gobbler" appeared in just 10 games in 1934-35 season and finished the year in the minors, never to play in the NHL again.

Whether the stories of Aitkenhead's obsessions are myth or fact, Andy continued to play hockey for several more seasons. He returned to the team that he was with before joining New York - the Portland Buckaroos of the PCHL.

Brian Noonan

2008-04-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

Born in Boston, Brian Noonan took an unconventional route to the NHL for an American kid. He opted for the Western Hockey League over college hockey. He joined the New Westminster Bruins in 1984-85 after two years of high school hockey. He stepped right into the WHL and scored 50 goals and 116 points, not looking one bit out of place.

Noonan was drafted a couple of years earlier, picked 179th overall by Chicago in 1983. Noonan struggled to play in the NHL for several years. Despite impressive numbers in the minors, it wasn't until 1991-92 that Noonan finally established himself as an NHLer.

One of the main reasons for his arrival in the NHL was coach Mike Keenan. Iron Mike was known for having a few favorite players. Noonan - like fellow utility players Stephane Matteau, Greg Gilbert, and Peter Zezel to name a few - would ultimately follow Keenan around the league.

When Keenan departed from Chicago, it wasn't long before Noonan was gone too. The Hawks traded Noonan and Stephane Matteau to the Rangers for Tony Amonte and the rights to Matt Oates on March 21, 1994. It was good timing for the two former Hawks, as they joined the Rangers just in time for their playoff journey that ultimately ended with the Stanley Cup. Noonan played very well in those playoffs, and even assisted on Mark Messier's Stanley Cup-clinching goal that season.

Keenan left the Rangers to take a job as GM/coach of the St. Louis Blues in the summer of 1994. A year later Keenan acquired his old buddy Noonan. Noonan would play parts of 2 seasons in St. Louis before being sent back to New York and then on to Vancouver.

Noonan was probably one of the few happy Canucks players to learn that Keenan was hired as coach in Vancouver shortly after his arrival. Keenan's reign was short however, and ultimately so was Noonan's.

The Canucks did not renew Noonan's contract, and allowed him to become a unrestricted free agent. However there was little interest in the aging right winger. He ended up logging 65 games with the IHL's Indianapolis Ice before signing with the Phoenix Coyotes for the final seven games plus the playoffs in 1999.

"I was Phoenix's insurance plan for the playoffs, in case someone got hurt," Noonan said. "Fortunately for me, some guys did. Otherwise, I would have sat out the last couple months of the season."

After being released by Phoenix, Noonan returned to Chicago, but not the NHL. He joined the IHL's Chicago Wolves.

"I still wanted to play, and I knew not much would happen in the NHL," Noonan said. "This was the perfect opportunity for me."

Brian will probably be best remember as a hard nosed player who threw his weight around. He was most effective when he was forechecking tenaciously. Though no speedster, he had incredible skating strength and balance, making him near impossible to knock down. He excelled in the corners, often winning battles for pucks or at least drawing a penalty. He kept his game simple, finishing his checks and crashing the crease. He was reliable defensively and surprisingly crafty if observed over a period of time.

Brian Noonan was a scorer at every level except the NHL, though he did show streaks of brilliance at times. One of those times was just after Christmas in 1991. Noonan exploded, scoring 3 goals against Winnipeg and 4 goals 2 days later against Detroit! He became the first Hawk to record consecutive hat tricks since Stan Mikita in 1965-66.

Despite Noonan's great play, his true colors were shining through in his comments about the games.

"What I remember most is that we didn't win either game," Noonan said. "We tied the first and lost the second. Throughout my career, I was a streaky scorer. I just didn't streak as much as I wanted to."

Noonan remained in the Chicago area following retirement. He stays active in hockey by coaching youth hockey.

Petr Nedved

2008-04-13T13:18:00.001-07:00

My fascination with the National Hockey League Entry Draft more or less began in 1990 with Petr Nedved.

As a young fan of the lowly Vancouver Canucks, the draft represented hope. With Trevor Linden in place as the heart and soul, the team desperately needed a scoring superstar. With the draft in Vancouver and with the Canucks holding three of the first twenty-three picks, including #2 overall pick, these were exciting times.

The draft was said to be, and would prove to be, one of the deepest in history. Mike Ricci entered the previous season as the consensus top pick, but Owen Nolan and Keith Primeau caught up quickly. Jaromir Jagr would have undoubtedly been the top choice but there was still risk because his availability was still in doubt as political reform was still in progress.

But the man I wanted was another Czech player - Petr Nedved.

There was no worries about Nedved's immediate availability. As a 17 year old junior player with Litvinov, he made a daring decision that most of us can not even comprehend. While playing in Calgary at the Mac's Major Midget tournament, Nedved slipped into the night carrying nothing but his hockey bag. He had defected, with dreams of playing in the National Hockey League.

"The defection, that night, is something I'll remember the rest of my life. It was the biggest decision I ever had to make. I thought about staying even before I left for the tournament but I wasn't sure and I didn't know really what to expect. There were a lot of questions I was asking myself.
Am I able to go back home? Will my parents be okay with my brother? I was almost more scared for my family than me. But I knew I wanted to play in the National Hockey League and, other than that, I didn't know much ... there were a lot of unknowns. Looking back now I'm surprised I was able to make that decision," Nedved told the Calgary Herald years later.

The center of an international dispute, Nedved hid out in Calgary for 5 months while he waited for his landed immigrant status.

All eyes were on the spindly Czech kid who did nothing to hide his fascination with Wayne Gretzky. He emulated him in every way. He tucked in his shirt the same, wore the same Jofa helmet, and copied his hunched over skating style. He'd fly down the win, curl at the blue line looking for an amazing pass, although he really should have been more greedy and use his laser of a shot more often.

Nedved tore up the Western Hockey League with 65 goals and 145 points in 71 games. His offense was undeniable. He had the creativity and vision of #99. He was a game breaker through and through. He had already showed more courage than any other player possibly could.

I, like probably most west coast fans, desperately wanted Vancouver to take Nedved. Keith Primeau, with his hulking size, was my other choice, although Philadelphia was supposedly offering Ron Sutter and Scott Mellanby if Vancouver flipped picks and slipped down to #4. They wanted Nedved too.

The Canucks did take Nedved, but did not really not what to do with him. He made the NHL team immediately, but he was too slight to make an impact. But sending him back to junior was not an option either, as he was too good for that league, and he had no other place to play. So the Canucks coddled him on the 4th line. To this day I believe Nedved's development was stagnated by this decision. He probably should have been returned to junior, even if the WHL offered no competition.

Nedved, despite glimpses of brilliance, never really found his way in the NHL until his third season, when he scored 38 goals and 71 points, despite getting next to no prime power play time. You see, by now the Canucks had secured Pavel Bure. With his 60 goals and explosive skating, the Russian Rocket became the offensive dynamo Vancouver was looking for. Nedved was second fiddle. The Canucks were trying to change his game to more of a two way game, as his Gretzky-mirroring did not mesh well with the puck-hogging Bure.

The Canucks were knocked out of the 1993 playoffs by Gretzky's L.A. Kings. At the conclusion of the final game Nedved sheepishly asked The Great One for his stick. That would prove to be Nedved's final act in Vancouver.

Showing the same resolve that he used to defect to Canada as a teenager, the principled Nedved held out in a contract dispute. The two sides were far apart in terms of money, but rumors had Nedved unhappy in Vancouver and demanding to be traded.

Interestingly, Nedved would stay in the news that season. He had gained his Canadian citizenship, and since he never play for the Czech national team, he was allowed to play with the Canadian national team that season. Wearing number 93 for the year he gained citizenship, he and Paul Kariya would lead Canada to a silver medal in the Olympics in the days before full NHL participation.

Following the Olympics his NHL future was finally solved. The St. Louis Blues signed him, which led to a compensation trade that saw Jeff Brown, Bret Hedican and Nathan Lafayette come to Vancouver. The move worked well for Vancouver, as the defensive depth and mobility allowed them to challenge the New York Rangers for the Stanley Cup that spring.

Despite the contract dispute and despite the less-than-great three years in Vancouver, I remained a Petr Nedved fan. He seemed really likeable, and being a Gretzky fan myself, I really wanted Nedved's mimicking game style to work on the west coast.

I didn't get to follow Nedved's career as closely after he left Vancouver. His tenure in St. Louis lasted only a few months as he was moved to the New York Rangers. Because Mark Messier did not take a liking to him, Nedved was then moved on to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Playing with Ron Francis and countryman Jaromir Jagr (not to mention the great Mario Lemieux in power play situations), Nedved posted his best season in 1995-96. Still, his 45 goals and 99 points were a far cry from the promise of Gretzky.

Another principled contract dispute saw Nedved return to New York, this time getting the chance to play with Gretzky. He called it his career highlight, but somehow I always felt Nedved lost his drive to be the next Gretzky. Perhaps all the money and the playboy lifestyle of a NHL star made him complacent to be Petr Nedved instead of being "the next one," which was fully his intention when he defected as a 17 year old.

Nedved would toil with Edmonton, Phoenix and Philadelphia before his NHL career quietly came to an end in 2007. Upon his return to the Czech Republic, he had scored 310 goals, 407 assists and 717 points in 982 games.

Bryan Hextall

2008-04-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

Bryan Hextall was one of the highest skilled and most respected players ever to grace a sheet of NHL ice. Hall of Famer James Dunn was once quoted saying "He is a very clean-living individual and an excellent ambassador for professional hockey."

He was also one of hockey's hardest hitters. Herb Goren, a long time reporter for the New York Sun once said "He was the hardest bodychecking forward I had seen in more than forty years of watching hockey."

Hextall starred for years as an juvenile and amateur on Canada's prairies before turning pro with the Vancouver Lions of the Western Hockey League in 1934. After leading the Lions won the WHL championship in 1935-36, Hextall jumped to the NHL's New York Rangers.

Often playing on a line with Phil Watson and Lynn Patrick, Hextall played with the Rangers from 1936 through 1948. During that span he skated in 449 league games, scoring 187 goals and earning 175 assists. He scored 20 goals in 7 consecutive seasons back in the days when 20 goals was a benchmark of a very good player.

The most famous goal Bryan scored immortalized him New York sporting history forever, although he didn't know that at the time. Bryan scored the overtime winning goal of game six of the 1940 Stanley Cup game against Toronto. That would be the last Stanley Cup the Rangers would win for 54 years!. Needless to say Hextall's heroics became legendary over the years as it provided solace for long suffering Ranger fans.

"I took a pass from Dutch Hiller and Phil Watson," Hextall fondly remembered years later. "The puck came out from behind the net and I took a backhand shot to put it past (Turk) Broda."

In 1939-40 and 1940-41 Hextall led all NHL snipers in goals scored. In 1941-42 he captured the Art Ross trophy as the league's leading point scorer. On four other occasions he was in the top ten of scoring. With three selections to the First All-Star team and another to the second All-Star team, it is obvious that Bryan Hextall was the dominant right winger of the era directly before the arrival of Rocket Richard and Gordie Howe.

Hex may have continued on as the best right winger in hockey had his career not been interrupted by World War II. Hextall served in the Canadian military during the 1944-45 season. He would miss most of the 1945-46 season as well due to a serious stomach and liver disorder.

Once his NHL career was over Bryan started a lumberyard and hardware business before opening a commercial shooting lodge in Poplar Point, Manitoba. Poor circulation in his legs forced doctors to amputate both legs below the knees in 1978. Bryan Hextall died in 1984.

Bryan Hextall was the first of three generations of Hextalls to play in the NHL. Sons Bryan Jr. and Dennis and grandson Ron enjoyed lengthy NHL careers.

Bun Cook

2008-04-02T14:16:00.001-07:00

Most of Fred "Bun" Cook's Hall of Fame career was spent in the shadows of his two line mates. Playing left wing on perhaps the greatest line in NHL history, Bun teamed with his brother Bill on right wing and Frank Boucher at center to dominate the NHL throughout the 1930s.

Bun started his career by joining his brother out west in the WCHL. He quickly gained a reputation as a hard nosed goal scorer, and the NHL soon took notice of both of the Cook brothers, who were playing with the legendary Nels Stewart while in Saskatchewan.

The WCHL collapsed after 1926 and the New York Rangers signed both of the Cooks. The Rangers were about to embark on their inaugural NHL season in 1926-27, and were desperately seeking some electrifying talent to steal some of the Broadway spotlight. The Cooks came in and quickly teamed with Frank Boucher to form what would arguably become the best forward unit for the next 10 years. In an era of dominant line combinations, none were better than "the Bread Line."

Historians often tried to compare the Bread Line's intricate passing offense to that of the Soviets several decades later. And none other than Frank Selke acknowledged Bun Cook as the key their attack.

"Men who would know credit Bunny Cook with the introduction of the passing attack," wrote Frank Selke. "The Cook-Boucher line introduced a style of attack completely their own — each member kept working into an open spot, passing the puck carefully and adequately and frequently pushing the puck into the open net after confusing the defensive force of the opposition. This was a repetition of lacrosse as played by the great Indian teams."

While Bill was known as the goal scorer and Boucher the playmaker, Bun was known as a bit of both. Many claim it was Bun who innovated the drop pass in the offensive zone. Some even suggest it was Cook who invented the slap shot.

A solid offensive contributor, Bun was a fan favorite in the old Madison Square Garden because of his hustling speed and reckless physical play. He was a bit of a celebrity, drawing praise from the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ed Sullivan

"When Bun Cook is hot, he is one of the most amazing players in hockey," wrote Sullivan. "At such moments, he attempts plays that stagger the imagination. At his peak, there is no player so enjoyable to watch."

By 1936, that reckless physical play caught up with Bun. Having developed a serious arthritic condition, Bun was forced to sit out the rest of the year. He attempted a comeback in 1936-37, but the Rangers didn't think he'd be able to contribute. They sold him to the Boston Bruins where he finished out his career. He was ineffective in 40 games with the B's as he battled the arthritis and a new ailment - a throat illness which eventually led to his retirement at the end of the year.

Through his NHL career, Bun Cook played 473 regular season NHL contests, scoring 158 goals, 144 assists and 302 points.

Bun turned to coaching at the AHL level where he found immediate success. He won the Calder Cup championship with the Providence Reds in 1938 and 1940. He then moved on to the Cleveland Barons where he won 5 league titles and then the EPHL before retiring in 1958.

Bun was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995, 7 years after he passed away.

So what about the nickname Bun? Where the heck did that come from? It makes most sense that it was a reference to his rabbit like quickness on skates - Bunny, shortened to Bun over time. However Fred's wife insists that Fred's brother Bill nicknamed him Bun as a kid because of his big nose. His short fuse carried over into his coaching days in the AHL where the media punned his name to "Hot Cross Bun" when he lost his temper.

Alf Pike

2008-03-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Alf Pike has one of the game's all time great nicknames: The Embalmer.

Pike did not earn his nickname by being one of the game's great villains like you might expect. No, he came about his handle much more innocently and literally - he was a licensed mortician.

But first and foremost Pike was a hockey player, and a very versatile one at that. He started in the NHL as a center, moved back to defense and completed his career on the wing. But he was probably best known as the Rangers third line center. He was a utility player if there ever was one.

Pike was another Winnipeg product the Rangers found during the years of World War II. He joined the Rangers as a 22 year old in 1940. As any good Ranger fan knows, that was a good year to join the team, as the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. Pike, who centered Dutch Hillier and Snuffy Smith, scored the overtime winning goal in game one.

Like many players, the war would interrupt Pike's career. Beginning in 1943 he would serve two years with the Royal Canadian Air Force, but at least he was based back home in Winnipeg.

Pike returned to New York in 1945 to play a total of 64 games over the next two seasons to round out his playing career. In total he played 234 NHL games, scoring 42 times and assisting on 77 others.

Pike could not leave the ice, however, and he became a coach until 1970. He started back in junior hockey where he guided the Guelph Biltmore Madhatters to the Memorial Cup title in 1952. He would coach in every corner of the continent as he jumped from minor league team to minor league team.

He also briefly returned to New York to coach the Rangers, replacing Phil Watson for a single season. His short tenure as coach in NYC was explained as "Alf Pike is simply too nice of a guy to be a coach.”

Hy Buller

2008-03-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

At one point it looked liked Hy Buller would be a career minor leaguer.

Having graduated from the junior leagues for the 1943-44 season but needed seasoning in the minors. Because of War time shortages of players, Buller did get promoted to play in 9 games with the Detroit Red Wings. But if it wasn't for the war, one would have to wonder if Buller ever would have gotten an NHL shot.

After his short stint in the NHL, Buller did not reappear in the NHL until 1951. In the meantime Buller established himself as one of the all time greats in the American Hockey League, first with Hershey and then more so with Cleveland from 1948-1951. In those 3 1/2 seasons with the Barons, t he "Blue Line Blaster" was a two time all star and posted some great statistics. For instance, in what proved to be his final season in the AHL he scored 16 goals in 57 points in 66 games. Those are mind-boggling numbers for a defenseman in 1950!

The Cleveland Barons were very reluctant to let Buller go, but they were desperate for some funds. So they effectively sold Buller and another future long time NHLer Wally Hergesheimer for a host of minor leaguers plus an undisclosed amount cash to the New York Rangers.

Buller teamed with Allan Stanley to form an immediately effective blue line tandem. Buller had a heck of a "rookie" season in New York. He was a second team all star scoring 12 goals and 35 points in 68 games. He was also twice named player of the week by The Hockey News, while he finished a close second to Boom Boom Geoffrion in Calder Trophy balloting for rookie of the year..

Buller was not an aggressive defenseman, which drew comparisons to the great Bill Quackenbush.

"Sure, I'd like to see him crack (the opposition)," said his Rangers coach Frank Boucher. "But you can't have everything. Bill Quackenbush doesn't hit them either, and he's quite a defenseman. They're both exceptional stick checkers, fine stickhandlers and rushers. Buller, like Quackenbush, is very good on point in power players. He has our best shot from the blue line and can it away without a windup. The most noticeable thing about Buller is his coolness and quick thinking under fire. He'll adapt himself to any situation."

That was quite a word of recommendation from one of the all time greats! Unfortunately for Buller, his wonderful season was just that - one season. He tailed off considerably the following year, perhaps due to his advanced age. Remember he spent almost a full decade in the minors before becoming a NHL rookie..

By the following season the Rangers farmed out Buller to the Saskatoon Quakers of the WHL. His NHL rights were traded to his hometown Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 1954, but the deal was later reversed as Buller opted to retire instead of reporting to camp, as he felt he would just end up in the Habs WHL farm team in Victoria BC.

Murray Murdoch

2008-03-17T15:06:00.001-07:00

Doug Jarvis is hockey's all time Iron Man with 964 consecutive games played. Before him it was Garry Unger and before him it was Andy Hebenton. Before all of them there was Murray Murdoch - hockey's original Iron Man, and an original New York Ranger.

Murdoch played in 11 successive seasons, never missing a single game. In total, he played in 508 straight regular season games, as well as 55 Stanley Cup playoff matches. This of course was during the days of a less than 50 game schedules, otherwise he probably would have reached a higher total of games played in succession.

Born on May 19, 1904 in Lucknow, Ontario, but raised in Edgerton, Alberta, Murdoch was a standout with the University of Manitoba. It was there where he was discovered by Conn Smythe who built the original New York Rangers team. Smythe, who would be replaced by Lester Patrick before the Rangers ever played a game, offered Murdoch a $5,000 salary and $1,500 signing bonus.

Murdoch was hesitant to leave to New York at the time. Smythe sent a telegram telling Murdoch to travel to Duluth, Minnesota to talk contract. Murdoch replied by telling Smythe to go out of his way and see him in Winnipeg! Smythe did, and Murdoch obliged, and despite the money being discussed he intended to say no.

"I remember sitting in the lobby of the Fort Garry Hotel, thinking it over, and I was just about to say no when Conn leaned over a coffee table and slowly counted out $1500 in $100 bills," remembered Murdoch. "That clinched it. For a young guy just married and with a summer job selling insurance, that looked like an awful lot of money."

Patrick placed Murdoch on a checking line with Billy Boyd and Paul Thompson where Murdoch utilized his studious understanding of the game. Later Butch Keeling and Cecil Dillon would fill in on the checking line. The 5'10" 180lb left winger scored 84 goals and 192 points in his 508 straight NHL games. More of a playmaker than a goal scorer, Murdoch was an integral part of two Ranger Cup wins in 1928 and 1933.

At the time Murdoch's iron man streak was quite the story. After he reached 400 games in a row, the Rangers honored him at Madison Square Gardens. The Yankees' Lou Gehrig, sports' most famous iron man, presented Murdoch with a plaque.

Murdoch's effectiveness began to erode following the 1933 Championship. In fact in his final two NHL seasons he only scored 2 goals and finished his career with the Philadelphia Ramblers of the American Hockey League.

However Murdoch received an offer to become a collegiate coach in 1939 which convinced him to retire as a player. He became the head coach at prestigious Yale University, helping to popularize hockey not only at Yale, but throughout American colleges. Murdoch coached for 28 seasons at Yale, establishing himself as a hockey legend on the collegiate level. His lifetime record at Yale was 263-236-20. He won Ivy League titles in 1940 and 1952 and led his 1952 team to the NCAA Frozen Four. In 1972, Yale established the Murray Murdoch Award to honor its annual hockey MVP.

In 1974 Murdoch was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for service to hockey in the United States.

Before his death in 2001 at the incredible age of almost 97, Murdoch was able to share some of his very vivid personal memories. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge, able to share thoughts and first hand accounts of some of the great players we have only heard about.

Players like Eddie Shore.

"I knew Eddie when he was 15 and I was 17 and we went to the same school in Winnipeg. He got kicked out for smoking, as I recall. But he became a great defenseman. He had a way of coming around the net and up the ice, weaving along. It was hard to take the puck from him. But because I knew him, I knew you had to get him as he was coming around the net."

And Howie Morenz.

"He was the greatest player I ever saw. When he got the puck and took off up ice, he was one of the fastest skaters I have ever seen. He was like a streak of light."

And the Maple Leafs' "Kid Line" of Charlie Conacher Joe Primeau, and Busher Jackson.

"Conacher thought that when he went into the locker room between periods that I was going to go with him. [Along with linemates Paul Thompson and Butch Keeling] We shadowed them pretty good. When that line came on the ice, we had to go on against them."

And the most common question he got was about Lester Patrick's famous donning of the pads as a 44 year old coach in 1929.

"He went in and of course we had three or four coaches [from other teams] come down to coach the team while Lester was in the net. Montreal was shooting from a long distance and Lester was stopping them. Lester had played a certain amount of goal because we only carried one goaltender and when we scrimmaged he sometimes put on the pads and played goal and coached the defense. He could coach from that position. If they did something wrong, he was able to point it out to them.

"He let one goal in and Frankie Boucher scored the game-winner [in overtime]. It was 2-1."

Before his death he was asked about the evolution of the game.

"I never thought the game would go worldwide. It's surprising to me. When you read the names, they're hard to pronounce. The players come from all over the world. When I played, it was solely a Canadian game. We never dreamed there would be teams in Phoenix, San Jose, Florida.

"I like today's game very much. It's very fast. The stars are better today than they were when I played, but there aren't as many of them."

Larry Melnyk

2008-02-17T12:15:00.001-08:00

If you were a NHL general manager in the 1980s and you were looking for a no-nonsense, no frills journeyman defenseman, then you did not need to look much further than Larry "Bud" Melnyk.

Described as "a Ken Morrow type of defenseman," Melnyk was pretty unheralded in his day. He quietly went about blocking shots, clearing the front of the net and sacrificing his body in anyway it took to get his job done. For his efforts he was rewarded with a 432 NHL game career and two Stanley Cup rings.

Melnyk was born and raised in New Westminister, BC, which is essentially a suburb of Vancouver. He played for his hometown New West Bruins for three seasons. The Boston Bruins liked what they saw, and drafted him 78th overall in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft.

Melnyk's story from there is one of perseverance and dedication. He was a poor skater, with no speed and little mobility. That kept him out of a regular NHL job until 1985 when he joined the New York Rangers. He road the buses in the minor leagues, constantly working on playing his position while understanding his limitations. He grew to learn to read the oncoming play and master the angles of defending and anticipative positioning. He would force the opposition wide until they ran out of room. He would then eliminate his check, though he was not a devastating hitter. Melnyk also became one of the league's best shot blockers, making him a regular on the penalty kill. He would fearlessly drop in front of a speeding bullet.

Before arriving in New York Melnyk spent parts of two post seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. That seems like an odd fit given that Melnyk was a poor skater and had no offensive game whatsoever. Though he did not play regularly he would earn two Stanley Cup championships.

He joined the Rangers in 1985-86 and finally proved what he was adamant about all along - he was a NHL defenseman. For the next 2 and 1/2 seasons he patrolled the Rangers blue line with vigor.

Melnyk enjoyed a home coming in the 1987-88 season, coming back to Vancouver to play out his career. Though he helped solidify a traditionally porous blue line. He was a very popular teammate, and, judging by the injuries suffered, may have been the toughest man on the team.

Shortly after arriving in Vancouver Melnyk took a Randy Carlyle slap shot to the face, giving him a concussion and fracturing his left orbital bone. In another incident he severed a tendon his right arm. And most of his time in Vancouver he played with chronic back pains, which eventually forced him to retire just before the 1990-91 season.

I liked Larry Melnyk. He was an honest, hard working guy, who believed in himself and was a great teammate.

Reijo Ruotsalainen

2008-02-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

With his alphabet soup name and his unbelievable skills package, Reijo Ruotsalainen is impossible to forget for anyone who ever watched him play. I always felt that if he was placed in the right situation, he could have been one of the top 3 defenseman of his time.

Routsalainen joined the New York Rangers in 1981, unable to speak much English but with a hockey resume that spoke for him. The son of a coach back in his native Finland, Ruotsalainen was sought after by top professional Finnish teams from the age of 14. At the age of 16, coach Kari Makinen finally convinced Reijo and his parents to join Karpat Oulu. Although he was now playing against men 4-10 years older than him, within a couple of months he became the top defenseman on the team, and was well on his way to becoming one of the best Finnish players ever. Over the next six years he'd represent his country at 4 world junior championships, 2 senior world championships and the 1981 Canada Cup. After joining the NHL he'd add 3 more worlds, 1 more Canada Cup and 1 Olympics to his impressive international resume. Rangers scout Lars-Erik Sjoberg, a very similar defenseman who starred in Sweden and the WHA, was one of his biggest fans and convinced the Rangers to select him 119th overall in 1980.

When he arrived in New York he was instantly paired with defenseman Barry Beck. The hulking Beck would take care of the physical game, as the diminutive "Rexi" quarterbacked the offense. In his rookie year Routsalainen scored an impressive 18 goals and 56 points. He followed that campaign up with seasons of 16 goals and 69 points and 20 goals and 59 points. His best season came in 1984-85 when he scored 28 goals and 73 points, though a significant portion of that season saw him skate on a forward line with Mark Pavelich and Anders Hedberg.

Paul Coffey was Ruotsalainen's most comparable peer. Like Coffey, Rexi's skating ability was simply phenomenal. He had an incredible set of wheels, blessed with great speed and the ability to get into gear within a step. And he skated backwards and laterally equally as well, perhaps even better than Coffey. In fact he could skate better in reverse than most forwards could skate forward! He effortlessly drifted across the ice as the opposition skaters strained to keep up. It was nothing short of beautiful, and perhaps only equaled by a Scott Niedermayer or a Katerina Witt!

Also like Coffey, Routsalainen loved to rush the puck, often bursting down the left wall, or sneaking off the point and into the slot. He was an excellent stickhandler, able to cradle the puck at any speed. His passes were soft and on target. And his shot was almost as good as his skating. He had an absolute rocket from the point. It took him a bit to learn to keep his shots on net, but once he did he may have been the best one-timer in the league.

Where Coffey and Ruotsalainen differed was in their size and physical ability. While Coffey was big and sported a physical nature, Ruoutsalainen was just too small to be effective. At just 5'8" and 170lbs, Ruotsalainen didn't shy away from the physical play, but he would stay away from the big battles and try to defend from the outside by using his smarts and skates.

So why didn't Routsalainen create a bigger NHL legacy? Under coach Herb Brooks he thrived in New York, but he did not get along with new coach Ted Sator. Rather than return to the Rangers, Ruotsalainen left for Europe, joining SC Bern in Switzerland where he remains a legend.

Seeing the obvious comparison's to Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers GM Glen Sather desperately sought Ruotsalainen's services. He made a complex trade to acquire his NHL rights, but he could not buy out his contract from SC Bern. Instead he waited until after the Swiss season for Routsalainen to join the team. The Oilers would win their third Stanley Cup that spring.

Ruotsalainen opted not to stay in Edmonton, but return to Europe again the following season. The big draw was the 1988 Olympics, something Ruotsalainen had yet to participate in. With NHL participation not guaranteed back then, Ruotsalainen opted to play for a Swedish club team as well as the Finnish national team. The Finns surprised many in those Olympic games, winning the silver medal.

Rexi returned to SC Bern in 1988-89, but joined the New Jersey Devils in 1989-90. By the end of the year the Oilers came knocking again, making another trade for Ruotsalainen's services for another successful Stanley Cup run. By this time the nickname "Rental Rexi" was firmly part of Ruotsalainen's image. So much so that even to this day when the Oilers need help on defense sports casters often joke that the team is inquiring about Ruotsalainen's availability.

Though he probably still can skate better than many NHLers, Ruotsalainen is no longer available as he retired back in 1998. After spending much of the 1990s with SC Bern, he finished his career off where it started, spending two more seasons with Karpat Oulu.

Larry Cahan

2008-01-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

Larry was a rock'em sock'em type of defenseman. He could deliver some very punishing hits with his large frame. It hurt to play against him.

"I used to be mean when I was young," Larry once said late in his career. "I used to fight at the drop of a hat. But you play about 10 years and I guess you mellow a bit. Besides, I don't think that I have to prove myself. I've fought the biggest and the best guys around in three leagues."

"It's a funny thing, if I were a little bit smaller, maybe I would be going out of my way to be rougher. Or maybe it's just my nature. But I still don't think I have to prove anything."

Cahan started his career in his hometown of Fort William. He spent his entire junior career playing for the Fort William Hurricanes between 1949-53. There he was spotted by Leafs scout Squib Walker.

In 1953-54 Larry made his professional debut with a bang. He racked up a league leading 179 PIMs, most of them well earned for the Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL).

"I guess I just forget myself a bit now and then," he said at the time.

The following season he made the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup.

"I think they brought me up too soon. I had played all my amateur hockey in Fort William where I was born. I was still just a kid when I went from Pittsburgh to Toronto." Cahan said. "When I came up in the Toronto organization, they had just won three Stanley Cups."

"A lot was expected of anyone who went to training camp or who made the club. And then comes that old problem that's kind of hard to explain. They only give you a few real shots at the NHL. If you don't make it early, then they seem to put a tag on you that says you can't make it. And when they bring you up later, you still have that tag."

"This seems especially true if you are a little older, say 27 or up," Cahan claimed. "I honestly think that you can't make it even if you have a really outstanding training camp."

Cahan lasted two seasons in Toronto until he was claimed by NY Rangers for $ 15,000 in the intra-league draft 1956. NY Rangers were looking for a tough blueliner and Cahan fit the bill perfectly. He had previously split his time between Toronto and AHL's Pittsburgh Hornets. While in the AHL he picked up 160 PIMs in only 39 games.

NY Rangers GM Muzz Patrick was excited to get Cahan:

"He's good enough to make our team right now, and there's no reason in the world why he shouldn't improve with experience. He should make our defense a little tougher than it used to be."

Cahan sure made them tougher...when he was up to it.

Like on December 3, 1961 when he toyed with tough guy Ted Green of Boston.

"I could have busted his head on the ice," Cahan said. "But I was too tired and besides the referee kept yelling that he would give me another misconduct."

Or on December 29, 1964 when he took on Montreal's Jean Beliveau, Jean-Claude Tremblay and Jacques Laperreire all at the same time. Larry was slapped with major, misconduct and game misconduct penalties.

Swedish import Ulf Sterner who was the first European trained player in the NHL and a teammate of Cahan in New York once told him: "If you played in Sweden, they would put you in jail."

Bill Davidson, a former teammate of Larry in the WHL once said: "It's a good thing that Larry wasn't born mean. He'd kill somebody."

Talk about great foreshadowing. More about that later.

Cahan played for the Rangers until 1965. He then played three seasons in the WHL for Vancouver Canucks. There in his final season (1967) he won the Hal Laycoe Cup (WHL's top defenseman) , was a 1st team All-Star and set a new WHL record for defensemen in the playoffs with 16 points in 7 games.

That All-Star season gave Larry a new chance to play in the NHL as Oakland Seals claimed him in the 1967 Expansion draft. He played one season in Oakland putting up career highs for goals (9), assists (15) and points (24), but he is best remembered for one big hit that led to a revolution in hockey.

In the first period of a game on January 13, 1968, Cahan and partner Ron Harris combined to cleanly take out 29 year old rookie Bill Masterton. Masterton, who like virtually all players at that time, was not wearing a helmet. He fell backwards and cracked his head on the ice, resulting in significant damage to his brain stem. Two days later the injury proved to be fatal, as Masterton died in Minneapolis hospital. He is the only player to die as the result of on-ice injury.

The following season (1968-69) he was let go by the Seals, claimed by Montreal in the Intra-League draft only to be traded to Los Angeles a few weeks later.

Larry played three seasons in California and was LA's captain between January and April 1970. He eventually finished his career in Seattle (WHL) and Chicago (WHA) where he was a captain for both teams.

Larry was no big scorer but he was a devastating hitter.

Dave Maloney

2008-01-14T22:13:00.000-08:00

Though not a true number one defenseman, Dave Maloney was a good puck moving defenseman with a physical dimension. His mobility and hockey sense made him a useful member of both specialty team units.

The native of Kitchener, Ontario, Maloney starred with the hometown Kitchener Rangers for two years before being selected 14th overall by the New York Rangers in 1974. After two years of seasoning with the AHL's Providence Reds, Maloney earned a full time slot with New York in 1976-77.

Maloney assumed a key role as quarterback of the Rangers power play. Often playing with Barry "Bubba" Beck, Maloney was quite aggressive himself, as his 1154 career penalty minutes attest. The solid rearguard played so well during his first two years that by 1978-79 he succeeded Phil Esposito as the Blueshirts' captain. Under his leadership, Maloney helped the team reach the Stanley Cup finals. That was an especially proud moment for the Maloney family as younger brother Don joined the team. The two would star on Broadway until Dave's departure up state to Buffalo for the 1984-85 season.

In Buffalo Maloney was a stabilizing influence during the last 52 games of the 1984-85 season and the first round of the playoffs before retiring. He scored 71 goals and 317 points in 657 NHL games.

In retirement Maloney has worked, amongst other jobs, as a Wall Street stock broker and as an in-studio analyst for Fox Sports. He also coached youth hockey in Connecticut.

Here's some other interesting facts about Dave Maloney:

During 1973-74 season, Maloney's stick caused severe eye injury to major-junior star Greg Neeld, costing Neeld the vision in his left eye and a chance for an NHL career. Neeld did try to play in the WHA, wearing a protect shield that was the first forerunner to what today is commonly used and known as the eye visor.
Maloney visited Romania during summer of 1978 as a guest of the Romanian Hockey Federation.
In 1979 he worked at Mike Nykoluk's hockey school in Switzerland.
He was a regular instructor at Bobby Orr's hockey camp in his early career.
In addition to his brother Don, Maloney is also related to NHLer Doug Sulliman (brothers in-law). However Don and Dave Maloney are not related to NHLers Dan or Phil Maloney.
In 1977 he was a member of Canada's first entry at the World Championships that allowed professional players.

Don Maloney

2008-01-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

Born in small Lindsay, Ontario, Don Maloney was one of seven children in a close knit family. He left home to learning his hockey craft in a classic Canadian town Kitchener, Ontario, where he started with the OHA Rangers.

So you can imagine what a daunting task it was for him when Don Maloney packed his bags and headed to the bright lights of exciting Manhattan, New York. It must have been a whole other world to the young left winger.

Fortunately for Don Maloney, he had big brother Dave to help him out. Dave, a defenseman, broke the trail back in 1976, and certainly made the Don's transition easier, both on and off the ice. Certainly Don has his big brother to thank for easing his transition to the big city.

Once he arrived, Don took the Big Apple by storm. He finished the 1978-79 season in the NHL, making a big impression on "The Mafia Line" with Don Murdoch on right wing and the legendary Phil Esposito at center. The line drew it's nickname from the reference of a Godfather (Espo) and two "Dons."

In 28 games Don tallied 9 goals and 26 points, and added another 7 goals and 20 points in 18 games during a lengthy post season run that saw the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup finals.

Esposito raved about his new found winger, comparing him favorably to an old friend from Boston.

"He's like (Wayne) Cashman to me. He gets the puck out of the corner. It's been a long time since I didn't have to help out in that respect."

Coach Fred Shero compared him to another great from the past.

"His scoring is a bonus. He's a bumper and a grinder. He reminds me of Bert Olmstead, the great left winger on the Montreal Canadiens power play two decades ago."

The line combination was short lived, however, as Don Murdoch's game fell apart as the city of New York consumed him. He went from an out-of-nowhere toast of the town to a washed up playboy with drug and alcohol problems.

Maloney would not suffer the same fate. He was an honest, hard working kid from small town Canada, and that never changed about him. He would enjoy enormous personal success in New York, though he was never singled out as a star.

That was fine by him, as he was more than happy to be a great support player. In 1980, at the young age of 22, he was named as the Rangers' team captain. He would play in the 1983 and 1984 NHL All Star games, surprising everyone by earning game MVP status in '84. He would also help Canada win a silver medal at his lone World Championship tournament in 1985.

Maloney's unforgiving physical play took it's toll on him over the years. In one memorable collision with New Jersey defender Bruce Driver, Maloney broke his leg and ankle as well as suffering ligament damage. He would miss most of the 1984-85 season recovering.

Though his heart was always a Ranger, he would be moved on to the Hartford Whalers and New York Islanders.

Following his days as a player Don Maloney went into NHL management where he quickly developed a reputation for his scouting and talent development. He would work with the Islanders, including briefly as GM, Sharks and Rangers in this regard before taking the general manager's post in Phoenix in 2007.

Andy Bathgate

2008-01-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

Andy Bathgate is one of the NHL's greatest players ever to grace a sheet of NHL ice, yet it is amazing that he even played hockey after suffering a horrific injury in juniors.

In 1951, while playing with the Guelph Juniors, he received a check that severely damaged his left knee. A steel plate was fixed beneath the kneecap yet it plagued him throughout his career. Despite this, he missed only five games in more than eleven seasons with the New York Rangers.

Even though this undoubtedly limited Bathgate's play, his immense talent prevailed. Bathgate was named twice to the NHL's first and twice to the second All-Star teams. He undoubtedly would have made it more times except that his principal rivals were Gordie Howe, Boom Geoffrion and Maurice Richard.

Andy was never much of a backchecker or a physical player, but when he had the puck there were none better. He could weave his way through a team single-handedly, and possessed one of the hardest shots ever witnessed

Bathgate enjoyed his greatest season in 1958-59 when he scored 40 goals and 88 points and won the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP. In 1961-62 he tied Bobby Hull for the league lead in scoring, though Hull got the Art Ross trophy because he scored more goals.

Bathgate was a less charismatic version of Hull. He was a smooth skater and a deft puckhandler, but he too was known for his heavy shot. In fact some say it was Bathgate, not Hull or Geoffrion who perfected the slap shot. Regardless, his shot was feared around the league. It was his shot that hit Montreal goalie Jacques Plante in the face and saw witness to the birth of the goalie mask in the National Hockey League.

Being the first true hockey superstar since the days of Frank Boucher and brothers Bill and Bun Cook, Bathgate was the toast of Manhattan. He was the first Rangers player ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His penalty shot goal against Detroit on March 14th, 1962 that all but assured the Rangers of a playoff spot is still talked about by the old time hockey fans in the city.

Andy was traded to Toronto in 1963-64. It is in Toronto that Andy earned his only Stanley Cup ring. He was later acquired by Detroit, then by Pittsburgh in the 1967 expansion draft.

In total, Handy Andy Bathgate played in 1069 games, scoring 349 goals and 973 points. He was included in Hockey's Hall of Fame in 1978. He briefly played and coach in Switzerland and the WHA following retirement from the National League.

Bathgate stayed in Southern, Ontario upon his departure from the ice. His new passion became golf, and he ran a golf facility in Mississauga for years.

Bones Raleigh

2008-01-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

Here's the skinny on Don Raleigh: He was skinny.

Hence the nickname that he became best known by, "Bones" Raleigh.

At 5'11" and 145-150lbs, the slender center was never a physical player. But he was a skilled puck technician. Best known as an elusive playmaker, he was an underrated goal scorer with a knack for scoring big goals.

Born in Kenora, Ontario, Raleigh was raised and became a junior hockey star in the Winnipeg area. His knack for winning championships at the bantam, midget and junior hockey levels assured him entry into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.

Raleigh joined the Rangers for the 1943-44 season, a call up due to a roster depleted by World War II. At 17 he became the youngest full time player in team history. His season lasted only 15 games though, as he suffered a broken jaw in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The following season Raleigh returned to Canada and joined the Canadian Army. Based in Winnipeg, he also played hockey with several teams during his years of service, including with the University of Winnipeg where he also found time to study and with the senior Winnipeg Flyers who competed for the Allan Cup in 1947.

Upon the end of the War, Raleigh returned to Manhattan for the the 1947-48 season. The Rangers were a decent team back then, but goaltender Chuck Rayner made them a threat. In the 1950 playoffs Rayner and Raleigh led the Rangers within a whisker of the Stanley Cup championship! Playing against the Detroit Red Wings, it was Raleigh who scored back-to-back overtime game winning goals in games 4 and 5 to keep the Rangers alive. Raleigh had his chances to score another OT goal in game 6, but ultimately the Red Wings emerged from that game as the Stanley Cup champions.

The Rangers teams sunk back to mediocrity for much of the next couple of decades, but Raleigh emerged as the team's offensive heart until his departure in 1955. In fact, in 1951-52 Raleigh set a team record (since surpassed) with 42 assists, and led the team with 61 points, the 4th best total in the entire league.

Despite Raleigh's best efforts, the Rangers were spinning their wheels and ownership decided a change was needed. Fiery Phil Watson was brought in as coach in 1955-56, which all but ended Raleigh's days in New York. Watson wanted a team of big, physical grinders, and Raleigh simply did not fit in his game plan.

Raleigh returned to Western Canada, playing in Saskatoon and Brandon before leaving the game at the age of 32 in 1958. He returned to Winnipeg and got into the insurance business, owning his own insurance and consulting firm. He would later do some television analyst work with the WHA Winnipeg Jets upon their arrival in 1972.

Tom Laidlaw

2007-06-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

"(Tom) Laidlaw plays defense the way it is supposed to be played," said New York Islanders legendary coach Al Arbour back in 1985.

Arbour then continued, " He almost never makes a mistake, he takes the man out in the slot, is mobile enough to get the puck out of his own end by skating it, or, more likely, hitting the open man with a precise, accurate, pass. If he gets a chance to rush he'll take it, but he understands that is not his job. And he plays it the way most defensemen did in the old six-team NHL."

Tom's playing style was a throwback to the old six-team era, an art form almost extinct in today's hockey He never tried to be fancy with the puck, he just concentrated to do his job and that was to keep his opponents and the puck away from his defensive zone.

Tom was born in Brampton, Ontario where his father Don was a district fire chief. Tom grew up idolizing legendary Gordie Howe. Tom first played for the Bramalea Blues and then played four seasons for Northern Michigan University (CCHA) while he majored in speech. He was also a good football player.

At NMU he was coached by Rick Comley who had a great influence on the young Tom.

"He stuck with me when I would make a mistake and sent me back out there," Tom recalled. "He helped me personally, and in my life. And he helped my hockey."

Tom quickly gained reputation for his toughness. Many years after he had left NMU people still talk about how he broke his stick over his head, purposefully, following his first goal at NMU.

In 1980 he helped the Wildcats advance to the NCAA championships before bowing out to the University of North Dakota. Tom was selected to the All-NCAA tournament team in 1980. He also was a CCHA First All-Star in 1979 and 80. All in all he scored 90 pts in 124 games for NMU.

NY Rangers selected Tom in the 1978 draft (78th overall). He immediately took a regular shift from opening night (October 9,1980 vs. Boston) and never looked back. During his first four NHL seasons Tom only missed 2 out of 320 games. Then in his 5th season he ruptured his spleen against Boston (January 5,1985) and missed 19 games.

Some people compared Tom to Ranger legend Harry Howell. It didn't take Tom many years before he was constantly paired up with rookies on defense to "break them in".

On March 10, 1987 Tom was traded to Los Angeles where he played for almost four years. He retired in 1990 while playing a few games for Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL).

Among teammates Tom was simply known as "Cowboy".
"I like Westerns and my boyhood hero might have been described as any cowboy. I like watching football, driving my jeep, country music and anything to do with hockey. My favorite actor is John Wayne for obvious reasons.", Tom said back then.

Tom always accepted his defensive role and not being in the spotlight of things.

"You don't win the Stanley Cup without defense. All the wheeling and dealing up ice with the puck is great for the fans, but not for the coach if you get caught out of position. Defense still wins in the NHL," Tom said.

Laidlaw's philosophy was simple: Don't let 'em through. Maybe it could have been dubbed as Laidlaw's Law.

Speaking of law, Laidlaw went on to become a prominent NHL player's agent in his off-ice career.

Brad Park

2007-06-10T22:10:00.001-07:00

Brad Park was a highly efficient defender, combining size and clean but dogged tenacity with an uncanny awareness of the game. A noted hip-checker, Park was brash and unintimidated. But with the puck he became a natural chessmaster on the ice. more-than-likely make a perfect pinpoint pass to clear the puck out of the zone and start the attack. With a short burst of speed he would often jump to join the rush as a fourth attacker, and was a true power play quarterback. Park, not unlike Ray Bourque years later, was a consistently steady defender with often brilliant offensive instincts.

In almost any other time period Brad Park would have been considered the best defenseman of his time. But Park played in the enormous shadows of Bobby Orr in Boston and Denis Potvin on Long Island. The only thing that kept the spotlight on them as opposed to Park was their team success and a combined 6 Stanley Cup championships to Park's zero.

That's right, Brad Park never had the chance to sip champagne from the Stanley Cup, despite participating in the playoffs each of his 17 NHL seasons. Along with the likes of Marcel Dionne, Gilbert Perreault, and Mike Gartner, Park may be the best player ever not to have tasted Stanley Cup victory.

Park went from unbridled prodigy to popular sensation in New York, ranking him as perhaps the greatest defenseman in the long history of the Blueshirts.

"Park reminds me of Pierre Pilote," once said Chicago coach Bill Reay. "Both were relatively compact men who could accelerate better than most forwards."

Though it was popular with Manhattan fans, Park was brash off the ice as well. He penned the book Play The Man in 1971 where he was very forthcoming in his thoughts, notably badmouthing Boston fans, calling them animals and players, calling them thugs.

The Bruins fans hated Park and their natural rivals from New York, which made the feud all the more ironic when Park would be part of a blockbuster trade with the Boston Bruins. Perhaps the biggest the trade to that date, Park was the centerpiece of a Ranger/Bruin swap that saw the legendary Phil Esposito leave Beantown. Looking to find a fill-in for the often injured Orr, the Bruins also sent Carol Vadnais to New York and also received veteran Ranger Jean Ratelle.

The trade was uncomfortable for Park, who openly cried and considered not reporting. The two teams were bitter rivals. The only thing that could have been worse is if the Red Sox traded for a Yankee's starting pitcher.

But Park's cerebral play would quickly win over the fans. But the Bruins got a different, more mature Park than the one who so often dominated games against them. Park's play in Boston tamed down somewhat, mostly due to necessity. By the time he was 28 he had undergone five major knee surgeries and four arthroscopic surgeries. But his play remained sterling, in some ways better than ever under the Bruins tight checking system.

"My wheels aren't as good, but my brain is better," Park said at the time. "When I was younger and quicker I was capable of controlling a whole game over the whole rink. Now I've got to be content to control our zone. Basically I'm prepared to do less and do it well rather than try doing what I used to do and do it badly."

Park served another seven and a half seasons with the Bruins. He would finish his career in 1985 after 2 seasons in Detroit.

In a total of 1,113 NHL games, Park netted 213 goals and assisted on another 683 for 896 points, while accumulating 1,429 penalty minutes. He also posted 125 points (35 goals, 90 assists) in 161 playoff contests.

Park was a First Team All-Star in 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976 and 1978 and second team in 1971 and 1973. He would be shutout from Norris trophy nods as the game's best defenseman, but finished 2nd place a heartbreaking six times. He was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1984 and was also a valuable member of the Team Canada defense corps in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviets.

Lester Patrick

2007-05-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

Is there one person who has had more impact on the game of hockey than any other? The answer is yes: Lester Patrick - hockey's "Silver Fox"

Lester Patrick, along with his brother Frank, made countless contributions to the game of hockey throughout his lifetime as a player, coach, manager, owner and National Hockey League governor. Together the Patrick's pioneered hockey as big business.

Though he was born in Drummondville, Quebec, Dec. 30, 1883, Lester Patrick grew up and learned to play the game as a youngster in Montreal. The son of a very successful lumberman in Quebec and later British Columbia, Lester was also was known as a star athlete in cricket, rugby and lacrosse.

Lester first became prominent as a hockey player out west as he dropped out of McGill University in order to pursue puck dreams. Known for his great speed and puck skills, in 1903-04 he used his abilities as one of game's earliest offensive defensemen to help a team from Brandon Manitoba fall just short of a Stanley Cup championship against the Ottawa Silver Seven. He then returned to Montreal to play with Westmount before joining the Wanderers in 1905-06. Patrick was part of two Stanley Cup championships with the Wanderers before he moved to Nelson, British Columbia in order to work in the family lumber business.

Lester, and his equally talented brother Frank, played in the small town of Nelson, BC until 1909-10. That season both Patrick brothers headed to Renfrew, Ontario where they signed up to play with the Renfrew Millionaires of the newly formed National Hockey Association - the direct forerunner of the National Hockey League.

However the Patricks returned to the west in 1911 and started their own circuit - the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. The PCHA was the most serious big league alternative that the NHA/NHL ever faced, even bigger than the World Hockey Association challenge of the 1970s.

The Patricks borrowed money from the million dollar family lumber business in order to finance the league. Both would continue to, as well as serve as coach, manger and owner of teams - Frank in Vancouver and Lester in Victoria. The money went to create Canada's first artificial ice rinks as well as pay players - who were mostly taken from the NHA. There were other franchises in Edmonton, Seattle, Calgary, New Westminster, Regina and Saskatoon.

Artificial ice was not the only invention to the game that the Patricks brought about. Other revolutionary innovations included:

Numbered Jerseys
Blue Lines
Penalty Shots
Allowing of goalies to leave their feet to make a save
Allowing of players to kick the puck
Rewarded assists on goals
"On the fly" line changes
Encourage rushing defensemen
Inaugurated a farm team system
Devised a profitable playoff system which is now used universally.

The NHL adopted everyone of Patrick's innovations, and are still in use today.

"The Patricks" wrote famed sports writer Elmer Ferguson "legislated hockey into modernism."

The PCHA eventually would have to fold eventually, and the Patricks sold the league and all of its players rights to the NHL in 1926. Lester would follow suit, being named as the architect of the New York Rangers, taking over from Conn Smythe, in 1926. Patrick served as coach of the Rangers until 1939 - guiding them to Stanley Cup championships in 1928 and 1933 in addition to being named as the NHL's best coach 6 times (there was no official trophy given to the top coach at that time, but hew as named to the NHL first all star team as coach 6 times). He continued to serve as manager of the Rangers until 1946.

His many accomplishments as a player and innovations as a builder are shadowed by one night in the 1928 NHL playoffs.

Six years earlier, while in charge of the Vancouver Millionaires, Patrick allowed Toronto to use Eddie Gerard, a borrowed player, as an emergency replacement as the Toronto team was decimated by injuries. Patrick did it as a show of sportsmanship and for the good of the game of hockey, but Gerard when on to be the star from that point on and cost Patrick and the Vancouver Millionaires the Stanley Cup. Six years later, Gerard and Patrick would cross paths again in the playoffs in 1928 with Patrick coaching the New York Rangers and Gerard managing the Montreal Maroons. Teams back then didn't carry back up goalies, and when Ranger starter Lorne Chabot was injured, Patrick asked to use a borrowed goaltender as a replacement, but Gerard refused knowing the Cup would be his almost certainly with the Rangers lacking a true goalie. Patrick, at the age of 44 decided to put the pads on himself. This move energized his Rangers. They played inspired hockey and the game went in to overtime. In a game that Hollywood couldn't dream of, Frank Boucher went on to score in overtime for the Rangers. The Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup.

At that moment Patrick was immortalized forever. This is one of the NHL's most legendary moments.

After stepping down as the Rangers boss in 1946, Lester returned to his beloved Victoria where he ran the minor league Cougars until 1954.

He is generally regarded as the architect of modern day hockey as his name is identified with many of the major developments in style of play, the organization and expansion of the game. He is also credited with expanding the game to western Canada, particularly British Columbia, as well as popularizing it in the north eastern United States.

Today Lester Patrick is remembered by the Lester Patrick Memorial Trophy. It is given out annually to recipients who shows "outstanding service to hockey in the United States." The award only honours a part of Lester's great hockey contributions, but at least he is forever remembered by the NHL in some way.

Phil Goyette

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Phil Goyette came out of junior as a slick passing, high scoring offensive dynamo in the Montreal system. Unfortunately for Goyette, Montreal didn't need another high scoring center as they already boasted Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard and Ralph Backstrom.

As a result of this overcrowding down the middle, Phil spent 3 years in the minors before catching on with Les Habitants in 1957-58 on a full time basis. While in the minors Phil learned to become a defensive center. He learned the fine art of defensive anticipation, shadowing your check and face-offs. Phil finally caught on with Montreal as a defensive minded 4th line center.

Phil was actually a late season call up in 1956-57 where he played in 14 games down the stretch before appearing in 10 playoff games to help the Habs win their second of five consecutive Stanley Cups.

In his official rookie season Phil played strong defensively but also showed a good playmaking side. He scored 9 goals and 37 assists for 46 points in 70 games. In the playoffs he played an integral role, scoring 4 goals in 10 games in capturing another Cup.

Goyette suffered a bit of a sophomore jinx in his second full season. He scored 10 times but added just 18 assists in 63 games. He went goalless in 10 playoff games, though did pick up 4 helpers.

Goyette's best season as a Hab came in 1959-60, the last year of the Canadiens great reign. Goyette scored 21 goals and 43 points and added 2 goals and 1 assist in the playoffs to capture the team's 5th consecutive championship, and Goyette's 4th.

1960-61 was a rough year for Phil. The amount of ice time he saw shrank and he scored only 7 goals and 11 points in 63 games. He had a strong playoff, scoring 3 goals and 6 points in 6 games. However the season ended on an unusual note for Goyette. For the first time in Phil's career, the season did not end with him and his teammates hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Phil continued to be buried in Montreal's great depth until he was traded to the New York Rangers with Don Marshall and Jacques Plante for Gump Worsley, Dave Balon, Leon Rochefort and Len Ronson. In New York, Goyette was teamed up with Marshall and Bob Nevin - all good defensive forwards. However for the first time in a long time Phil got some serious ice time and he responded strongly. There was never any doubt that he had offensive skills, but finally he got to display them as he registered 24 goals and 41 assists for 65 points. Goyette scored more than 60 points twice more in his 6 seasons in New York, but the Ranger's only made the playoffs in three of those seasons. While Phil finally got a chance to display his worth, the success that he saw early in his career in terms of championships was a long ways off.

Goyette, an extremely clean player who only had 131 career PIM in 941 games, was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for big and bad Moose Dupont in 1969. Phil responded with his best season, responding with career highs in goals (29), assists (49) and points (78). Despite totaling a second best 16 PIM total, he was rewarded for his fine season with the Lady Byng trophy for gentlemanly play. More importantly, Phil helped the Blues reach the Stanley Cup finals, scoring 3 times and assisting on 11 others for 14 points in 16 games.

Because of his advancing age Phil, who was often nicknamed "Thin Man" or "The Professor," was left exposed in the 1970 expansion draft. Phil was selected by the Buffalo Sabres. In Buffalo Phil put together another strong season, scoring a point a game with 61 points (15 goals, 46 assists) in 60 games.

Goyette's age was catching up with him during the 1971-72 season. Off to a slow start, the Sabres sold his rights back to the New York Rangers late in the season. Goyette rounded out his career by scoring 5 points in 8 regular season games. He also used his vast playoff experience to help the Rangers to a strong playoff showing. Phil chipped in with 1 goal and 4 points in 13 games.

Phil totaled 207 goals, 467 assists and 674 points in 941 NHL games. He added 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 94 career playoff games. It was in the playoffs when Phil was at his best, as his 4 Stanley Cup rings attest.

Upon retirement Goyette was named as the first coach of the expansion New York Islanders back in 1972. It was not a great experience for all involved, and he was quickly fired.

Goyette then returned to his native Lachine, Quebec, where he worked with a custom brokerage business that he had apprenticed with during the summers while still playing hockey in the NHL.